| sneak preview | |
| —n | |
| a screening of a film at an unexpected time to test audience reaction before its release | |
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
sneak preview
An advance showing of something, as in It was supposed to be bad luck but she gave the bridegroom a sneak preview of her wedding gown. This expression originated in the 1930s for a single public showing of a motion picture before its general release, and in succeeding decades was transferred to other undertakings.