[Ads-l] Popular faux etymology of current use of "snowflake"

[Bonnie Taylor-Blake]

Here's a nice piece on the true origin of "snowflake" (a pejorative for
overly sensitive, progressives, etc.),

https://thinkprogress.org/all-the-special-snowflakes-aaf1a922f37b#.oi1tzumor

Comments and work by Jonathon Green, Ben Yagoda, and Emily Brewster are
featured in this article.

But note a persistent, pernicious faux origin story that's popular on
Twitter (and elsewhere, I'm sure).  For example, see

https://twitter.com/Mikeyabcdefg/status/823354483656704000

The text reads:

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When trumps supporters call u snowflake this is what they mean!

Concentration camp victims were called "snowflakes" by the Nazis,
referencing ashes falling from crematorium chimneys.

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I became aware of this bit of etymythology a few days ago.  Dan Evon of
snopes.com has since written up an analysis of this alternate fact.

http://www.snopes.com/snowflake-nazi-term-holocaust/

-- Bonnie

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