Whipper snapper

[Cacciotti]

What is the meaning or where did the phrase "young whipper snapper" come from?   Thanks in advance!

[JudgeJ]

Comes from an old term used to describe young men of an idle disposition. They used to stand on street corners snapping whips (rather like the cartoon types who stand on street corners tossing coins)

[Octavius]

"whippersnapper" originally referred to a young man with no visible ambition, the term has changed somewhat over the years, and today is more likely to be applied to a youngster with an excess of both ambition and impertinence.

[maxi29]

In Dr Faustus, Marlowe uses the phrase "snipper snapper" to describe a lowly underling. Perhaps it's a derivation of that.

[Quizmonster]

Whipper-snapper is almost certainly modelled on snipper-snapper, Maxi, the former dating from the late 17th century and the latter from the 16th. Originally, both meant a small or insignificant person, especially if he was too lively or impudent.
As for the sense of the word 'whipper-snapper' it could in more modern times be used in a kindly way as well as a pejorative one. In other words, "You cheeky young whipper-snapper!" might easily be said with a smile.