Urban dictionary says:
(adjective) describes a witty mannerism, personality, or behavior that is a combination of sarcasm and cynicism. Usually accepted as a complimentary term. Snark is sometimes mistaken for a snotty or arrogant attitude.
Critical in a curmudgeonly sort of way.
The adjective snarky is first recorded in 1906. It is from dialectal British snark, meaning 'to nag, find fault with', which is probably the same word as snark, snork, meaning 'to snort, snore'. (The likely connection is the derisive snorting sound of someone who is always finding fault.) Most dictionaries label snarky as "Chiefly British Slang." But for the last five or more years, it has become increasingly common in American publications, maybe ones infiltrated by British or Canadian writers and journalists.
I'm a believer in critical approaches. If I post stuff in fora I expect people to poke it with sticks to see if it is all hot air or if it has meat. To me there is a difference between asking hard critical questions of someone in a productive manner and backing them in a corner.
To me, in playful moments, snark is hilarious. With strangers discussing charged topics, I leave it at the door. Saying 'I disagree with you' is a lot less snarky than saying 'Well if you believe that, I suppose you'll believe anything!'
Snark has its place and its beauty, but where does it get in the way of making people feel that their voice is respected even if their views are challenged? Is telling someone you perceive them as being snarky a crappy thing to do? Should we find better terms in our lovely language to use? |
