The origin of the word snickerdoodle remains uncertain. The earliest known usage of the term dates back to an 1898 cookbook, which provides no clear explanation for its naming. One theory, as suggested by the Joy of Cooking cookbook, proposes that it may derive from the German word Schneckennudeln, meaning “snail dough.” On the other hand, the Oxford English Dictionary suggests that it could simply be a playful combination of “snicker” (meaning “laugh”) and “doodle” (meaning “doodle-bug”). While the German connection is somewhat speculative, the whimsical nature of the cookie lends itself to being a fanciful, nonsensical word. It is important to note that this has no relation to the popular Snickers candy bar, which was named in the 1930s after a horse owned by the Mars family.
