snail mail

noun

Facetious.

1. physical delivery of mail, as contrasted with email.

2. the letters, packages, etc., delivered this way.

snail mail

noun

1. the conventional postal system, as opposed to electronic mail

verb

1. (tr) to send by the conventional postal system, rather than by electronic mail

snail mail

1. A term used to denote mail sent via the traditional postal service, usually to contrast that process to e-mail.

Word History and Origins

Origin of snail mail¹

First recorded in 1980–85

Word History and Origins

Origin of snail mail¹

C20: so named because of the relative slowness of the conventional postal system

Idioms and Phrases

Ordinary postal service, as opposed to electronic communications. For example, He hasn't taken to his computer so he's still using snail mail. This slangy idiom, alluding to the alleged slowness of the snail, caught on at least partly for its rhyme. [1980s]