Snake eyes

Snake eyes

In gambling, snake eyes is the outcome of rolling the dice in a game of craps and getting only one pip on each die. The pair of pips resembles a pair of eyes, which is appended to the term 'snake' because of the long-standing association of this word with treachery and betrayal. The dictionary of etymology traces that use of the term back to 1929, [http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?l=s&p=28 Online Etymology Dictionary] ] although it may be traced all the way back to the ancient Roman dice games, where 'Dogs' represented two ones. They referred to this as "the dog throw". In modern parlance, it refers to such a roll in any game involving dice.

Because this is the lowest possible roll, and will often be a loser in many dice games, such as Craps, the term has been employed in a more general usage as a reference to bad luck.

Games

In many board games such as Monopoly, house rules may decide that rolling Snake Eyes leads to a bonus since they are rarely rolled.

Notes


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Snake eyes — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Snake Eyes est le titre d un film réalisé par Abel Ferrara, avec Harvey Keitel et Madonna, sorti en 1993. Snake Eyes est le titre d un film réalisé par… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Snake Eyes — Título Ojos de serpiente Ficha técnica Dirección Brian De Palma Producción Brian De Palma …   Wikipedia Español

  • snake eyes — n [plural] informal a situation in a game in which a pair of ↑dice both show one spot …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • snake eyes — snake′ eyes n. pl. gam a cast of two in craps; two aces • Etymology: 1930–35 …   From formal English to slang

  • snake eyes — ☆ snake eyes n. Slang a throw of two ones (two) in craps …   English World dictionary

  • Snake-Eyes — Infobox G.I. Joe character name = Snake Eyes caption = Snake Eyes in a variation of his version 2 suit (From promotional cover for Arashikage Showdown © Devil s Due 2005) (Cover by Susan Luo) affiliation = G.I. Joe function = Commando Covert… …   Wikipedia

  • snake eyes — noun expressions used when when two dice are thrown and both come up showing one spot • Syn: ↑craps • Hypernyms: ↑two, ↑2, ↑II, ↑deuce * * * noun plural : a throw of two aces in craps * * * Craps. a cast of two; two aces. [1930 35 …   Useful english dictionary

  • Snake Eyes — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Snake Eyes est le titre d un film réalisé par Abel Ferrara, avec Harvey Keitel et Madonna, sorti en 1993. Snake Eyes est le titre d un film réalisé par… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Snake Eyes — Filmdaten Deutscher Titel: Spiel auf Zeit Originaltitel: Snake Eyes Produktionsland: USA Erscheinungsjahr: 1998 Länge: 94 Minuten Originalsprache: Englisch …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • snake eyes — n. the two in dice, one spot on each die. □ Well, it’s snake eyes again. That’s all for me. □ The baby needs shoes, and all I get is snake eyes …   Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions

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