Interesting - when I happened to come across it in a book or on TV I always knew what it meant, but never thought about the origins.

And for those of us who didn't know: Snuff is a smokeless tobacco made from ground or pulverised tobacco leaves. It is inhaled or "snuffed" into the nasal cavity, delivering a swift hit of nicotine and a lasting flavoured scent (especially if flavouring has been blended with the tobacco). Was that the same as "take a powder"? Or was the powder something else?

That phrase now reminds me of the scene in Chinatown when Jack Nicholson has his nose slit. I've read several books about Irish history and a few mentioned that when the Danes controlled Ireland they did a 'nose' count and levied taxes accordingly. If you didn't pay on time they would 'slit your nose.' Most of the authors discounted the historical accuracy but it's still a part of Irish lore.

For me, every day is salad day...at lunch that is...