You’re standing in an inch of gray, soapy water in your shower. It’s gross. Or maybe you’re playing Mario Kart and some guy in a tiny Toad kart is drifting in circles like a maniac. Or, worst case scenario, you just found out your "best friend" started dating your ex behind your back. All three of these situations involve snaking.
The term is everywhere. It’s one of those words that shifted from a literal tool used by plumbers to a high-level gaming exploit, and finally, into the messy world of dating and social politics. If you've been wondering what does snaking mean, the answer depends entirely on whether you’re holding a wrench, a controller, or a broken heart.
The Dirty Work: Snaking in Plumbing
Let’s start with the most literal version. If you call a plumber because your kitchen sink is backed up with three weeks of pasta water, they’re going to talk about "snaking the drain."
A plumber’s snake—officially called a drain auger—is basically a long, flexible metal cable. It’s got a corkscrew-like attachment at the end. You feed it into the pipe, crank a handle, and it wiggles through the curves of your plumbing until it hits the clog. Once it makes contact, it either breaks the gunk apart or grabs onto it so you can pull the whole disgusting mess out.
It’s effective. It’s also risky.
If you have old galvanized pipes or thin PVC, aggressive snaking can actually punch a hole right through the side of the line. People often confuse snaking with hydro-jetting, but they aren't the same. Hydro-jetting uses high-pressure water to scrub the inside of the pipes. Snaking is a mechanical, physical "poke and pull" method. Most homeowners can buy a cheap 25-foot hand snake at Home Depot for twenty bucks and fix a simple hair clog in the bathroom. But for a main sewer line blockage caused by tree roots? You need a heavy-duty motorized snake. Don't try to DIY that unless you want a face full of sewage.
High-Speed Exploits: What Snaking Means in Gaming
If you grew up playing Mario Kart DS in 2005, the word "snaking" probably triggers a specific kind of rage. In the world of competitive racing games, snaking is a technique where a player constantly drifts back and forth on a straightaway to gain continuous speed boosts.
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Look at it this way.
Normally, you drift around corners to get a "mini-turbo." In Mario Kart, once you see those blue or orange sparks, you let go and get a burst of speed. Snakers figured out that if they have high "drift" and "handling" stats, they don't need a corner. They can zig-zag (like a snake) down a straight path, triggering mini-turbos every half-second.
It’s exhausting to watch. It’s even more exhausting to do.
The competitive scene for Mario Kart DS was dominated by this. If you didn't snake, you lost. Period. This led to a massive divide in the community. Casual players hated it because it felt like cheating or "breaking" the game’s intended physics. Pro players argued it was a high-level skill gap. Eventually, Nintendo stepped in. In later releases like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, they tweaked the mechanics to make snaking much less effective, though you’ll still see variants of it in games like F-Zero or even certain Call of Duty movement exploits where players "snake" behind cover by rapidly crouching and standing to peek without getting hit.
The Social Stash: Snaking Your Friends
Now we get to the version of the word that’s currently blowing up on TikTok and in UK slang. In a social context, snaking is the ultimate betrayal.
To "snake" someone is to act behind their back in a way that is deceptive, usually for your own gain. It’s not just a small lie. It’s deep-level "I thought we were cool" tretiery. The most common example? Dating. If you know your friend has a crush on someone, and you secretly start texting that person and set up a date without telling your friend, you are a snake.
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It’s about the movement. Just like the plumbing tool or the gamer’s kart, a social snake doesn't move in a straight line. They move laterally. They slide into DMs. They whisper.
The term gained massive mainstream popularity through reality TV shows like Love Island. Contestants are constantly being accused of "snaky behavior" when they pull someone for a "chat" five minutes after saying they wouldn't. It’s synonymous with being "two-faced."
Why do we use this metaphor?
Honestly, it’s probably biblical. The snake in the Garden of Eden is the blueprint for the "trusted" advisor who is actually sabotaging you. But in modern slang, it’s less about forbidden fruit and more about the lack of "loyalty." In many subcultures, being called a snake is a permanent stain on your reputation. It implies you value your own immediate desires over the collective trust of your friend group.
Subtle Nuances You Might Miss
Wait, there’s more. Because language is weird, "snaking" has a few other niche meanings:
- In Queuing: Ever been at a concert or a theme park where the line wraps back and forth in a zigzag? That’s a "snake" or "snaking line." It’s designed to cram the most people into the smallest square footage while psychologically making the wait feel shorter because you're constantly moving.
- In Electrical Work: Much like the plumber, electricians use a "fish tape" or a "wire snake" to pull electrical cables through walls and conduits. If you're renovating a house, you’ll hear them talk about snaking a wire from the attic down to a new outlet.
- In Surfing: This is a big one. "Snaking" in surfing is a major breach of etiquette. It’s when a surfer paddles around another surfer to get into the "priority" position for a wave. It’s incredibly disrespectful. Basically, you’re cutting the line in the water. Do it at a crowded break in Hawaii or Australia, and you might get more than just a dirty look.
How to Handle Being Snaked
If you’ve been snaked socially, the instinct is to fire back immediately. Don't.
Usually, snaky behavior is a reflection of the other person's insecurity or lack of social intelligence. They move in the shadows because they aren't confident enough to be direct. If a friend snakes you over a romantic interest or a promotion at work, the best move is usually a clean break.
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In plumbing, the solution is easier. If the snake doesn't work, you call in the big guns—the hydro-jet.
In gaming? Well, if you’re playing an old-school racer and someone is snaking, your only real options are to learn the technique yourself or find a different lobby. Most modern games have patched out the most egregious versions of this, favoring "fair play" over physics exploits.
Making Sense of the Slang
So, what does snaking mean at the end of the day? It means moving in a way that isn't straight. It’s the curve. It’s the wiggle.
Whether it's a metal wire clearing out a hairball, a gamer exploitation of drift mechanics, or a "friend" talking behind your back, snaking is always about the indirect path. It’s efficient for pipes, controversial for gamers, and toxic for relationships.
If you suspect your drain is clogged, buy a plastic "zip-it" snake first. It’s a cheap, barbed strip of plastic that works wonders for bathroom sinks without the risk of a heavy metal auger. If you suspect your friend is a snake, pay attention to how they talk about other people when they aren't around. That’s usually the first rattle of the tail.
Actionable Steps for Modern Snaking:
- Drains: Use a manual hand auger for small clogs; call a pro for anything deeper than 25 feet to avoid pipe damage.
- Gaming: Check the "patch notes" for your favorite titles to see if movement exploits like snaking or "crouch-canceling" are considered bannable offenses in ranked play.
- Social: Establish clear boundaries. If a friend "snakes" a potential partner, address it directly rather than venting on social media. Directness is the antidote to snaky behavior.