snaffle

noun

1. A broad-mouthed, loose-ringed bit (metal in a horse's mouth). It brings pressure to bear on the tongue and the corners of the mouth, and is often used as a training bit.

   “Captain went out in the cab all the morning. Harry came in after school to feed me and give me water. In the afternoon I was put into the cab. Jerry took as much pains to see if the collar and bridle fitted comfortably, as if he had been John Manly over again. When the crupper was let out a hole or two, it all fitted well. There was no bearing rein—no curb—nothing but a plain ring snaffle. What a blessing that was!”

   ““I shall have to take the mare to-morrow,” said the Tertium Quid, “and she will stand nothing heavier than a snaffle.””

   “For many horses the best bit to use in the field is a plain snaffle, with very large rings, so that the bit cannot be pulled through the horse’s mouth. The bridle should have a cavesson, instead of the usual noseband.”

2. (figuratively)Decorative wear that looks like a snaffle.

   “Sunning himself on the board steps, I saw for the first time Mr. Farquhar Fenelon Cooke.[…]A silver snaffle on a heavy leather watch guard which connected the pockets of his corduroy waistcoat, together with a huge gold stirrup in his Ascot tie, sufficiently proclaimed his tastes.”

verb

1. (transitive)To put a snaffle on, or control with a snaffle.
2. (broadly, figuratively, transitive)To quell or suppress.

   “Julian Joolby, when will you learn to snaffle your violent emotion?”

3. (transitive)To clutch by the bridle.
4. (informal, transitive)To grab or seize; to snap up.

   ““That was my inspiration back in 2005,” he says, snaffling his third roll.”

5. (informal, transitive)To purloin, or obtain by devious means.

   “[…] the Master at Arms, the senior member of the lower deck and chief policeman, was found to be drunk; he must have snaffled some of the crew's rum ration always kept closely guarded in a special locker […]”

6. (Norfolk, UK, archaic, intransitive)To talk foolishly.

   “In Norfolk, "jaffle" is used in the sense of idle discourse, of an indecent or malicious character; and a prating busybody is said to be "always a snaffling and jafflin about what don't concern him."”