English Reference
Idiom idiom

snake eyes


Two ones, after rolling two dice.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

I lost the game because I rolled snake eyes.

CONTEXTUAL

He needed a high number to win, but he rolled snake eyes instead.

COMPLEX

The gambler watched in silence as the dice landed on snake eyes, signaling the end of his winning streak.


Attested as a term in the game of craps, snake eyes is a compound formed from the visual resemblance of two single pips to the eyes of a snake. The two ones on a pair of dice are thus associated with the reptile’s gaze and the subsequent loss of the player's stake.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    all eyes

    Watching alertly or attentively.

  2. 02

    all eyes and ears

    Very attentive.

  3. 03

    babies in the eyes

    The minute reflection which one sees of oneself in the eyes of another.

  4. 04

    bat one's eyes

    To signal or feign by fluttering one's eyelids, as romantic interest.

  5. 05

    bawl one's eyes out

    To cry, shed tears, weep loudly.

  6. 06

    believe one's eyes

    To believe that something which one directly sees is truly the case.

  7. 07

    clap eyes on

    To see; to lay eyes on.

  8. 08

    close one's eyes

    To ignore something.

Last updated August 10, 2026