[Ads-l] X snob shift

Laurence Horn laurence.horn at YALE.EDU
Mon Oct 26 15:07:11 UTC 2015


> On Oct 26, 2015, at 10:33 AM, Joel Berson <berson at ATT.NET> wrote:
> 
> I agree with Jon -- an X snob looks down on people who know less about X than he/she does.

I see it that way too, as a reclamation of a slur:  "Yes, I'm an X snob, and proud of it!"  Don't know if that's happened with "X nazi" yet, though.  The original "soup nazi" wasn't prepared to reclaim the epithet.

LH
> 
> I think I've heard "wine snob", which surely makes this phrase more elitist than "beer snob".  Now "scahns" (as I swear I heard it pronounced in Scotland, rather than "scohnes"), on the other hand ...
> 
> 
> Joel
>      From: Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU 
> Sent: Monday, October 26, 2015 10:01 AM
> Subject: Re: [ADS-L] X snob shift
> 
>> In this usage, I don=E2=80=99t think there is a pejorative sense.
> 
> Yes and no.  By adopting the well-understood pejorative term, the disdained
> group asserts its power.
> 
> JL
> 
> On Mon, Oct 26, 2015 at 2:52 AM, Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at ix.netcom.com>
> wrote:
> 
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>> -----------------------
>> Sender:      American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster:      Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at IX.NETCOM.COM>
>> Subject:      X snob shift
>> 
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> 
>> Wikipedia (https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__en.wikipedia.org_wiki_Snob&d=AwIFaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=wFp3X4Mu39hB2bf13gtz0ZpW1TsSxPIWYiZRsMFFaLQ&m=Q2Gu5krOnPibSzqbbgTgYYYQezaijr6iU4SyhztA-SI&s=MlETGFbsXdrhci_ZYEGREuQ-B6CmDpfgEQiBm0RsQyo&e=  =
>> <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__en.wikipedia.org_wiki_Snob&d=AwIFaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=wFp3X4Mu39hB2bf13gtz0ZpW1TsSxPIWYiZRsMFFaLQ&m=Q2Gu5krOnPibSzqbbgTgYYYQezaijr6iU4SyhztA-SI&s=MlETGFbsXdrhci_ZYEGREuQ-B6CmDpfgEQiBm0RsQyo&e= >) has a rundown on the word snob, =
>> and it says that both definitions are pejorative.=20
>> 
>> The Oxford Dictionary site =
>> (https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.oxforddictionaries.com_us_definition_american-5Fenglish_snob&d=AwIFaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=wFp3X4Mu39hB2bf13gtz0ZpW1TsSxPIWYiZRsMFFaLQ&m=Q2Gu5krOnPibSzqbbgTgYYYQezaijr6iU4SyhztA-SI&s=q5hCSBBZnBtkvTRuJfpHlIiY1A-FDSziTZ2V6q6dv7I&e=  =
>> <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.oxforddictionaries.com_us_definition_american-5Fenglish_snob&d=AwIFaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=wFp3X4Mu39hB2bf13gtz0ZpW1TsSxPIWYiZRsMFFaLQ&m=Q2Gu5krOnPibSzqbbgTgYYYQezaijr6iU4SyhztA-SI&s=q5hCSBBZnBtkvTRuJfpHlIiY1A-FDSziTZ2V6q6dv7I&e= >) =
>> and Wiktionary (https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__en.wiktionary.org_wiki_snob&d=AwIFaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=wFp3X4Mu39hB2bf13gtz0ZpW1TsSxPIWYiZRsMFFaLQ&m=Q2Gu5krOnPibSzqbbgTgYYYQezaijr6iU4SyhztA-SI&s=LVrv_y8rD9AH-7H34S_R3zYdaHc5c7LlRRtJZEf-v1g&e=  =
>> <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__en.wiktionary.org_wiki_snob&d=AwIFaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=wFp3X4Mu39hB2bf13gtz0ZpW1TsSxPIWYiZRsMFFaLQ&m=Q2Gu5krOnPibSzqbbgTgYYYQezaijr6iU4SyhztA-SI&s=LVrv_y8rD9AH-7H34S_R3zYdaHc5c7LlRRtJZEf-v1g&e= >) do not go into such detail but =
>> pretty much agree with each other in that they say that a snob considers =
>> themself superior to others, either in taste or status.
>> 
>> The use of =E2=80=9CX snob,=E2=80=9D however, seems to be different in =
>> connotation.
>> 
>> Earlier this year, I heard a customer at a coffee shop declare herself =
>> to be a =E2=80=9Cscone snob=E2=80=9D and today, I saw an announcement =
>> for a professional get-together that included the words =E2=80=9Cbeer =
>> snobs.=E2=80=9D
>> 
>> In this usage, I don=E2=80=99t think there is a pejorative sense.
>> 
>> Because of this loss of negative connotation, I think the word can =
>> simply mean having discerning taste or being really, really into =
>> something, and not necessarily superior.
>> 
>> Benjamin Barrett
>> Formerly of Seattle, WA
>> 
>> Learn Ainu! https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__sites.google.com_site_aynuitak1_home&d=AwIFaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=wFp3X4Mu39hB2bf13gtz0ZpW1TsSxPIWYiZRsMFFaLQ&m=Q2Gu5krOnPibSzqbbgTgYYYQezaijr6iU4SyhztA-SI&s=ScVuCFJsmRg191TKU_tsKWe8B8uBBd4tGUlw8NxIVAE&e=  =
>> <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__sites.google.com_site_aynuitak1_home&d=AwIFaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=wFp3X4Mu39hB2bf13gtz0ZpW1TsSxPIWYiZRsMFFaLQ&m=Q2Gu5krOnPibSzqbbgTgYYYQezaijr6iU4SyhztA-SI&s=ScVuCFJsmRg191TKU_tsKWe8B8uBBd4tGUlw8NxIVAE&e= >=
>> 
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>> 
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
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