not, it's really not that special.

December 25, 2010 11:46 AM

your problems are notspecial snowflakes. so quit using that description.

anyone else sick of everyone in askme describing their problem as a special snowflake? because, as much as we'd like to believe our problems are that unique, they really aren't.

posted by violetk to Etiquette/Policy at 11:46 AM (428 comments total)

I recently updated my profile to say, "If you use any variant on the phrase 'special snowflake details' in your question, I'm not answering it."

I think I've kept that vow so far.
posted by hermitosis at 11:47 AM on December 25, 2010 [9 favorites]

Jeez, Merry Christmas to you, too.
posted by magstheaxe at 11:47 AM on December 25, 2010 [17 favorites]

Merry Christmas!
posted by middleclasstool at 11:47 AM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

Someone got coal in their stocking today!
posted by MaryDellamorte at 11:48 AM on December 25, 2010 [13 favorites]

I think this problem is unique to you.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 11:48 AM on December 25, 2010 [81 favorites]

I don't even celebrate Christmas and I think you sound Scrooge-y. If you don't like it, scroll past it. You can't control people's phrasing.
posted by amro at 11:48 AM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

Also, no, it doesn't bother me. We've also had this Metatalk before.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 11:48 AM on December 25, 2010 [2 favorites]

Didn't we already have this argument and decide that the new accepted phrase involved cockbuckets?
posted by elizardbits at 11:49 AM on December 25, 2010 [4 favorites]

Wow. Um. Merry Christmas.
posted by Justinian at 11:51 AM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

Get in line! We're still trying to exterminate "In Soviet Russia..."

It's taking longer than we thought.
posted by sidereal at 11:54 AM on December 25, 2010 [2 favorites]

Problems aren't unique. People are. Don't be such a scrooge.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 11:54 AM on December 25, 2010 [4 favorites]

I think while this may be an overused phrase people really do think that their problems are specific to them.

One of the benefits from AskMe, to my mind, is people seeing that the issues and troubles that plague them may be in many cases, run of the mill and as a result, solveable or addressable. This is obvious for computer tech support, maybe not so obvious with sleep disorders, exercise conundrums or "what does this thing that this person is doing MEAN" sorts of things.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 11:56 AM on December 25, 2010 [3 favorites]

You know what irritates me? That someone with a stick up their ass wants to create this pointless Metatalk ON CHRISTMAS DAY and give the mods extra work to do ON CHRISTMAS DAY. Did that get through to you? It's fucking CHRISTMAS DAY and you can't give the mods a day off?
posted by MaryDellamorte at 11:56 AM on December 25, 2010 [60 favorites]

Sorry that was a little grar, but my point still stands.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 11:57 AM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

I think that a lot of things that some people think of as in-jokes or house style or indicators of community membership or whatever (special snowflakes, hive minds, DTMFA, FTFY, Metafilter:, etc.), some other people find to be incredibly annoying.
posted by box at 11:59 AM on December 25, 2010 [10 favorites]

I thought that was the joke? Using the term "special snowflake" is a nod to the common trap of thinking you're oh so special when really the relationship issues you're facing are as old as time.

So people are acknowledging that the issues they're facing aren't new or unique, but are having trouble anyway and need help.

It probably depends on the question, but that's how I usually read it.
posted by ODiV at 12:01 PM on December 25, 2010 [94 favorites]

I've never seen another MeTa with such perfect timing.
posted by John Cohen at 12:11 PM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

What's the secret of MeTa posting?
posted by box at 12:12 PM on December 25, 2010

Previously.
posted by John Cohen at 12:12 PM on December 25, 2010

angry snowflake
posted by Mick at 12:12 PM on December 25, 2010 [4 favorites]

also previously
posted by nadawi at 12:17 PM on December 25, 2010

I'm far more offended by the OP's flagrant disregard for capitalization in all their posts.

Yes, yes, a thousand times YES!
posted by amro at 12:19 PM on December 25, 2010 [3 favorites]

Actually, it doesn't bother me at all. People's problems *are* unique to them, and if they can't find the answers by searching then they *are* allowed to describe it any way they wish, whether it ticks you off or not. You're also allowed to disregard any posting that pisses you off and move on (that's what's so great about the internet).
posted by patheral at 12:19 PM on December 25, 2010 [3 favorites]

This is so true! From now on my answers to every AskMe are going to be "42" or "Treaty of Versailles" or another one-size-fits-all answer that is appropriate to every question.
posted by XMLicious at 12:22 PM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

I'm a little tea pot...

think I'm doing this wrong.
posted by special-k at 12:24 PM on December 25, 2010 [5 favorites]

Weird. I've always read "special snowflake" ironically in AskMe.
posted by chairface at 12:25 PM on December 25, 2010

I always looked at the "special snowflake" as a self-deprecating joke.

Someone needs a hug, apparently.
posted by DWRoelands at 12:25 PM on December 25, 2010 [14 favorites]

wait, I am special. Ima write special-k inside from now on.
posted by special-k at 12:26 PM on December 25, 2010 [2 favorites]

everybody needs a drug.
posted by special-k at 12:27 PM on December 25, 2010 [6 favorites]

I used the term in the more-inside section of my last question because I knew that my rambling details (added for clarification and to steer the answers in the right direction) probably would make the advice less helpful generally but more helpful for me specifically. And I got terrific answers. I think it would be sad if all the generous AskMe participants adopted hermitosis' policy.

People are going to use injokes whether or not we love those jokes, and I think it's kinder to roll one's eyes less often at that sort of thing and look at their specific actual questions. But of course, as patheral says, this is the internet, and you're free to write off large swatches of the community if it works for you based on whatever criteria you choose.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 12:27 PM on December 25, 2010 [2 favorites]

Doesn't bother me in the slightest.

People who don't use capital letters, however, is another story.
posted by idiomatika at 12:27 PM on December 25, 2010 [5 favorites]

Yes, abolish capital punishment on this Christmas Day!
posted by gman at 12:30 PM on December 25, 2010 [2 favorites]

besondere Schneeflocke innen
posted by special-k at 12:33 PM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

Now that I think about it, all of the different questions actually are unique in the same way and to the same degree as snowflakes are: I mean snowflakes aren't really that different from one another, they're just slightly different configurations of very small ice crystals that are statistically quite similar. It's not like you come across snowflakes that are made of silicon steel or are like a rhinoceros made of Limburger cheese.
posted by XMLicious at 12:34 PM on December 25, 2010 [19 favorites]

Also, pony requests are not actually requests for ponies.

I don't see the harm in either.
posted by lekvar at 12:35 PM on December 25, 2010 [2 favorites]

MaryDellamorte: "You know what irritates me? That someone with a stick up their ass wants to create this pointless Metatalk ON CHRISTMAS DAY and give the mods extra work to do ON CHRISTMAS DAY. Did that get through to you? It's fucking CHRISTMAS DAY and you can't give the mods a day off?"

Agreed.

Let's all agree not to post in this thread anymore. We have the power.

I'm looking at you, person typing into the comment box below.

HEY. STOP IT.
posted by Rhaomi at 12:35 PM on December 25, 2010 [4 favorites]

*hangs head in shame*
posted by special-k at 12:38 PM on December 25, 2010 [12 favorites]

you cant tell me what to do. lowercase letters forever.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 12:38 PM on December 25, 2010 [7 favorites]

hear hear.
posted by special-k at 12:38 PM on December 25, 2010

Yeah, the use of "special snowflake" at this point has largely become a bit of a self-deprecating joke. It may be one you're tired of seeing, but I don't read it as people actually claiming, straight-faced, that their problems are literally unique. In some cases, too, I think it's just a short-hand for "complex and/or specific details contained herein." In any case, it bugs me not one iota. (I save my special snowflake GRAR for people in the real world who actually display the maddening sense of entitlement and narcissism that the term "special snowflake" was originally intended to deride.)
posted by scody at 12:39 PM on December 25, 2010 [7 favorites]

It may be one you're tired of seeing...

yeah, that.
posted by hermitosis at 12:40 PM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

Merry Christmas! I hope everyone has a grar-free day, even when others behave badly.
posted by five fresh fish at 12:43 PM on December 25, 2010

Yeah, the use of "special snowflake" at this point has largely become a bit of a self-deprecating joke.

But that's exactly why it's annoying. Obviously the person does think their situation is unique — at least among AskMe questions — or they would just read the old questions instead of asking a new one. So why pretend? It's not genuine self-deprecation, it's false modesty.
posted by enn at 12:44 PM on December 25, 2010 [3 favorites]

Happy MeFites are all alike; every unhappy snowflake is unhappy in its own way.
posted by lukemeister at 12:44 PM on December 25, 2010 [5 favorites]

I want to be unique like everybody else.
posted by AugustWest at 12:46 PM on December 25, 2010 [3 favorites]

Look, do you have kids in there? We're trying to give 'em a good Christmas and you're screwing it up!

Oh....you wanted to add more GRAR to everyone's Christmas. Oops.

/still loving that post on the blue.
posted by Uniformitarianism Now! at 12:47 PM on December 25, 2010

timing.
posted by Justinian at 12:47 PM on December 25, 2010

If you're having snow problems
I feel bad for you son
I got ninety nine problems
But a flake ain't one
posted by cortex (staff) at 12:50 PM on December 25, 2010 [49 favorites]

Buy a flake ain't one

Bit early for the Christmas wine, ISN'T IT?!
posted by nomadicink at 12:51 PM on December 25, 2010

Nah, comment edit power is like being able to undrink.
posted by enn at 12:54 PM on December 25, 2010 [14 favorites]

Like ODiV, I have always read it ironically, as shorthand for:

"I know I'm not all that special here, with my silly personal issues, and this problem probably isn't the big deal I think it is, but thank you all humoring me and enduring the painfully boring details that follow..."
posted by rokusan at 12:54 PM on December 25, 2010 [8 favorites]

Oh good, this again. My holiday is complete. Bed time.
posted by Splunge at 12:57 PM on December 25, 2010

But, okay: the problem here is that there's a disconnect between the desire to not see "special snowflake" in question text and the efficacy of any given response motivated by that desire.

Broaching the subject of its overuse in metatalk is okay, and may have an incremental effect on usage since a healthy chunk of people who use askme also read the grey.

Specefically telling people that e.g. their problems are not special is not the best way to approach that, since it introduces a premise that folks may disagree with (that they write that specifically and solely because they imagine themselves to be singular in their problems) and insulting to boot.

Withholding answers from someone because of a cosmetic detail they are unlikely to have any idea you're using to screen questions is more or less bullshit, honestly. That's your prerogative and you can meter your askme contributions however you like, but maybe don't make a public issue of it because it's both sort of meanspirited and utterly ineffective as a way of communicating your complaint to actual askers looking for help.
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:01 PM on December 25, 2010 [26 favorites]

But that's exactly why it's annoying.

violetk's statement seems to me to imply that she doesn't get that people are joking. Whether you find the joke annoying, inappropriate, stupid, or whatever is a secondary issue.

Obviously the person does think their situation is unique — at least among AskMe questions — or they would just read the old questions instead of asking a new one.

So your complaint is that people are using AskMe to... ask questions?
posted by scody at 1:03 PM on December 25, 2010 [4 favorites]

Yes it bugs me. But not nearly as much as those who can't summon the simple courtesy to use caps.
posted by CunningLinguist at 1:04 PM on December 25, 2010 [3 favorites]

Jesus, what the fuck is wrong with you people, it's like no one got any heroin for Christmas.

Thanks Dad, you're the best!
posted by nomadicink at 1:04 PM on December 25, 2010 [15 favorites]

Some fucking drug addict has cut my cocaine with Saniflush!
posted by kuujjuarapik at 1:06 PM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

violetk has been bugged about capital letters before. I doubt we'll see any change on that front.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 1:13 PM on December 25, 2010 [2 favorites]

It's Snowflake Day!

Hooray for UN takeovers, getting spices upon spices, and lighting snowmen!
And the cabbage patch. Can't forget that.
posted by Lemurrhea at 1:16 PM on December 25, 2010

LOWERCASE LETTERS FOREVOOPS
posted by nevercalm at 1:19 PM on December 25, 2010 [8 favorites]

We're still trying to exterminate "In Soviet Russia..."

In Soviet Russia, we exterminate you!
posted by UbuRoivas at 1:20 PM on December 25, 2010 [32 favorites]

We got no snowflakes here, special or otherwise. It's a traditional Christmas Day rain, instead.
posted by rtha at 1:22 PM on December 25, 2010 [3 favorites]

I always thought when someone said "special snowflake details" it was more of a jab at themselves in acknowledgment that their problem is most likely not unique, but they'd still like perspective on their particular situation.
posted by biochemist at 1:22 PM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

Ugh, I hate this phrase with a passion. If you want to ask a question pertaining to the specific details of your life, that's fine. You don't have to ironically-but-not-really label yourself a special snowflake. Enn is exactly right that this phrase is false modesty. On top of that, it's cutesy and overly precious.

To go back to scripture, I believe the phrase was that "you are not a beautiful and unique snowflake." Are not.
posted by malapropist at 1:27 PM on December 25, 2010 [4 favorites]

I'm an intuitive (i.e. inconsistent ) capitalizer, myself. Sometimes it feels right to use caps, sometimes it suits a sentence to be in lower case. Let a hundred flowers blossom, yeah?
posted by facetious at 1:27 PM on December 25, 2010 [3 favorites]

yeah!
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 1:28 PM on December 25, 2010

*sees pile of special snowflakes. unzips pants, writes name in pee.*
posted by jonmc at 1:29 PM on December 25, 2010 [13 favorites]

Thus spake malapropist: "To go back to scripture, I believe the phrase was that "you are not a beautiful and unique snowflake.""

I'm glad someone pointed this out. It's been bothering me.
posted by sidereal at 1:30 PM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

There is snow outside and it has continued since noon. It has not in my memory snowed here on Christmas Day. Plainly I owe baby Jesus a favor.

Happy birthday, baby Jesus! I might be an atheist, but I still love your story, because it is part of my childhood and I'm all old and nostalgic. It is embarrassing, because when I went to look the story from Luke up it brought tears to my eyes, because I remembered being little and my mother reading me the story while we set up the nativity I made myself out of clay.

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

There was no Tea Party in those days.

So merry Christmas to all of you people, whether you believe baby Jesus is still with us or whether you think it's just a nice story about unconditional love and sheeps and kings who plainly never had anything to do with babies or they would have brought gifts that a baby could use, instead of some perfume.
posted by winna at 1:31 PM on December 25, 2010 [8 favorites]

Blizzard warning for NYC tomorrow! Brazillions of snowflakes, all extra special.
posted by CunningLinguist at 1:37 PM on December 25, 2010 [2 favorites]

There's also the issue of being grumpy towards the grumps not being any better than the original grump.

Quis grumpodiet ipsos grumpodes?
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 1:46 PM on December 25, 2010 [7 favorites]

I SUPPORT VIOLETK AND HER AVERSION TO CAPITAL LETTERS. TO SHOW SOLIDARITY I AM GOING TO POST IN CAPS IN THIS POINT FORWARD.

US SPECIAL SNOWFLAKES NEED TO STICK TOGETHER.
posted by eyeballkid at 1:47 PM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

I AM ALSO NOT GOING TO USE ENGLISH CORRECT, BECAUSE I AM ROLLING IN THAT WAY ALSO FUCK PUNKUATION.
posted by eyeballkid at 1:47 PM on December 25, 2010 [14 favorites]

malapropist writes "To go back to scripture, I believe the phrase was that 'you are not a beautiful and unique snowflake.' Are not."

Smeg, here I thought it was from Fight Club.
posted by Mitheral at 1:55 PM on December 25, 2010

PLEASE don't go all Tyler Durden on me, BUT...

What is this "Grar"?
posted by OneMonkeysUncle at 2:11 PM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

ALSO FUCK PUNKUATION

NOT WHEN IT'S GOT ITS PERIOD
posted by UbuRoivas at 2:11 PM on December 25, 2010 [4 favorites]

The first rule of grar is you don't talk about grar. The second rule of grar is that you don't talk about grar.
posted by brina at 2:12 PM on December 25, 2010 [2 favorites]

(in that case, the colon is sometimes preferable)
posted by UbuRoivas at 2:12 PM on December 25, 2010 [9 favorites]

here I thought it was from Fight Club

Like I said, scripture.
posted by malapropist at 2:15 PM on December 25, 2010 [5 favorites]

Withholding answers from someone because of a cosmetic detail they are unlikely to have any idea you're using to screen questions is more or less bullshit, honestly. That's your prerogative and you can meter your askme contributions however you like, but maybe don't make a public issue of it because it's both sort of meanspirited and utterly ineffective as a way of communicating your complaint to actual askers looking for help.

Eh, I only have time to answer so many questions, and if I see one that annoys me at the outset, I am less likely to bother with that one.

Rather than finding a way to mention my annoyance unhelpfully in the thread, or starting a rehashy post in MeTa, I just put a note in my profile saying HAY THIS BUGS ME FYI. Maybe people will stop doing it, maybe they won't, but now when I encounter this particular pet peeve, I am able to move on faster, because I've already given myself permission to avoid it.

Also, I am sort of meanspirited these days. Working on it.
posted by hermitosis at 2:16 PM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

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the festivus pole has been erected

please enter grievances below
posted by pyramid termite at 2:20 PM on December 25, 2010 [20 favorites]

I am waiting for the feats of strength, actually. When does the thumbwrestling begin? I WILL FITE YOU ALL.
posted by elizardbits at 2:22 PM on December 25, 2010 [3 favorites]

I just found out that Steve Landesberg and Bob Feller died. Why didn't anybody say something?
posted by jonmc at 2:23 PM on December 25, 2010

The tradition of Festivus begins with the Airing of Grievances. I got a lot of problems with you people and now, you're gonna hear about it.

You, Jessamyn! My spouse tells me your blacksmithing skills stink! You couldn't hammer a ban if you had a hot date with an anvil.

Huh, still too early for Christmas wine.
posted by nomadicink at 2:23 PM on December 25, 2010 [2 favorites]

You know what bothers me, it's halitosis. I can't even think of answering a question in the presence of halitosis.

what...? oh....

never mind.
posted by HuronBob at 2:27 PM on December 25, 2010

I hate "special snowflake" even if it is consciously used as an ironic reference to FIGHT CLUB. I also embrace and enjoy Christmas celebrations. I contain multitudes.
posted by philip-random at 2:37 PM on December 25, 2010 [2 favorites]

I contain multitudes.

And all of them boring.
posted by jonmc at 2:40 PM on December 25, 2010 [6 favorites]

Withholding answers from someone because of a cosmetic detail they are unlikely to have any idea you're using to screen questions is more or less bullshit, honestly.

I screen by cosmetic detail. I refuse to answer any questions about blue eye shadow.
posted by amyms at 2:41 PM on December 25, 2010 [3 favorites]

the young rope-rider is so right - for a new (or heretofore "lurking-only") member of a community to use a micro-meme like 'special snowflake' is at once a gesture of respect for community norms, and a respectful request to be included in that community. it's a real slap in the face for a longer-term or higher-status member to reject them specifically because they used it. the best thing to do is just ignore a meme you've gotten over - they all either die off or fade into the background eventually anyway.
posted by facetious at 2:43 PM on December 25, 2010 [9 favorites]

Snowflakes...
posted by Splunge at 2:45 PM on December 25, 2010

And all of them boring.

Noted without comment
posted by hellojed at 2:56 PM on December 25, 2010

Whomever likes snow is wrong. Snow is an evil malicious force. And Dante said that the center of Hell is snowy so there's further proof.
posted by angrycat at 2:57 PM on December 25, 2010 [3 favorites]

Can we be special cornflakes, instead? Or do we have to be Special K? Which has always sounded to me like something out of a bad sci-fi story -- "They're after our Special K! Quick! To the Veloperambulatatron!"

Um.

Merry Christmas!
posted by tzikeh at 3:03 PM on December 25, 2010

I think AskMe will survive people continuing to post "special snowflake" questions because they think it's an original thing to say.
And I think it will survive other people declining to answer because the expression annoys the shit out of them.

It's not worth getting your MeTa panties in a bunch about either of these things.
posted by Omnomnom at 3:04 PM on December 25, 2010 [2 favorites]

Young rope rider just won the thread. Award yourself three internets.
posted by UbuRoivas at 3:08 PM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

I clicked on this hoping it was a joke about the snowflake thing that would lead into some kind of festive Christmas snow-related joke, but since it didn't, here is my favorite snow-related recipe from my childhood. (I think the recipe thing might be passe now but I miss it, okay? Okay.)

You'll need:

• Some snow (avoid snow dog has stepped in, snow with dirt on the bottom)
• Sprinkles (the round kind that that ladybug FPP was on)

Put snow in bowl. Add sprinkles. Eat snow with sprinkles.
posted by NoraReed at 3:09 PM on December 25, 2010 [2 favorites]

Or do we have to be Special K?

My wife's first name starts with a K, and I found out early on in our marriage that if I referred to her this way, that was the fast track to feeling very unspecial.
posted by SpacemanStix at 3:11 PM on December 25, 2010 [3 favorites]

I'll just test this wireless keyboard and mouse I received right here.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 3:20 PM on December 25, 2010

I'm a Special Hailstone myself. (and don't anybody forget it!)
posted by oneswellfoop at 3:26 PM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

no, i didn't phrase that the best i could have—i just drove from portland to so.cal to be with the fam; i'm tired. of course everyone thinks their problems are unique. that's why they're asking. i don't mind the asking of the question. i am just becoming increasingly annoyed by the need to use the term all the goddam time, whether it is ironically or not. it's no longer amusing the millionth time you read it, and presumably you've read it enough times to want to use it to establish that you're part of the community. or whatever.

and no, i'm not particularly cranky today. murrrrrr christmas!
posted by violetk at 3:28 PM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

it's a real slap in the face for a longer-term or higher-status member to reject them specifically because they used it.

No, it's a real slap in the face to single them out specifically and make them feel personally unwelcome. Commenting within my own profile on which memes I especially dislike is not a slap in anyone's face. Some might read it and think, "Oh, what a dick, who cares what he thinks anyway" (in which case they are bound to this exact thought about once every five minutes on MetaFilter anyway) or maybe they'll think, "Oh, I didn't realize this irritated some people. Maybe I won't do it next time." Either way, I think it is fairly harmless.
posted by hermitosis at 3:30 PM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

...i just drove from portland to so.cal to be with the fam; i'm tired.

What, you think you're a special dental impression for being tired?
posted by nomadicink at 3:36 PM on December 25, 2010 [2 favorites]

I have a flight out of Gatwick on Monday afternoon. Can we stop talking about snowflakes? I don't want to jinx it.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 3:36 PM on December 25, 2010

Your mom is a special snowflake.

ooh burn
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 3:37 PM on December 25, 2010 [4 favorites]

...i just drove from portland to so.cal to be with the fam; i'm tired.

What, you think you're a special dental impression for being tired?

no, i live in portland; i'm a goddam special raindrop.
posted by violetk at 3:37 PM on December 25, 2010 [2 favorites]

Your mom is a special snowflake.

i back any and all "your mom" jokes.
posted by violetk at 3:38 PM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

You're either part of the problem, or you're a fucking liar.
posted by philip-random at 3:39 PM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

Your mom is more oblate than spherical, with her largest cross-section facing the oncoming airflow.
posted by nomadicink at 3:42 PM on December 25, 2010 [18 favorites]

That's not a special snowflake, it's your mom's dandruff.
posted by box at 3:45 PM on December 25, 2010 [3 favorites]

*weeps copiously*
posted by infini at 3:47 PM on December 25, 2010 [2 favorites]

MOM, I AM OUT OF BOOZE.

yeah know, bob cratchit worked until 7. He still had to pick up prezzys, chestnuts and had time for shoe sliding in Camden Town.
posted by clavdivs at 3:48 PM on December 25, 2010 [2 favorites]

I just found out that Steve Landesberg and Bob Feller died. Why didn't anybody say something?

We still have Abe Vigoda!
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 3:51 PM on December 25, 2010

i'm a goddam special raindrop

Hel no, I'm a freezing Euro Blizzard


... with that, she brings down the interface

Merry Christmas all you special snowflakes ;p
posted by infini at 3:51 PM on December 25, 2010

Your mom is a special snowflake.

My mom died in a snowflake storm, you heartless bastard.
posted by Infinite Jest at 4:02 PM on December 25, 2010 [4 favorites]

The modern term is 'snowpocalypse.'
posted by box at 4:04 PM on December 25, 2010 [3 favorites]

We got a T shirt for ya, hon.
posted by effluvia at 4:05 PM on December 25, 2010

Weird. I've always read "special snowflake" ironically in AskMe.

It is as ironic as Millhouse is Memelike.

It is used with such frequency that "LOL, I'm so ironic" is lost for "No really, I am special."
posted by dougrayrankin at 4:06 PM on December 25, 2010

The modern term is 'snowpocalypse.'

I thought it was snOMG.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 4:07 PM on December 25, 2010 [6 favorites]

Ur Ma thinks snowflakes are more special than U
posted by angrycat at 4:08 PM on December 25, 2010

If you can't beat the special snowflakes, join them. These dogs have the right idea. Simultaneous sliding and eating of snow action at about the 1:00 mark. I'm sure there are other animals vs. snow videos out there....(hint, hint)
posted by MaryDellamorte at 4:11 PM on December 25, 2010 [4 favorites]

Your mom is a special snowflake.

i melted her
posted by pyramid termite at 4:12 PM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

My mom died in a snowflake storm, you heartless bastard.

snowflakes don't storm, asshole. that's what we call a blizzard. my mom, though still alive, was recently afflicted by a blizzard of lies.
posted by philip-random at 4:20 PM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

I enjoy looking at this problem as if I was a Martian, watching a nature program about humans (narrated by Bleep-Bleep Attenborough).

Here we see a young male of the species, asking members of his pack for help with a problem, using various in-jokes and well-worn phrases that are specific to his pack. This is a common ritual. We theorize that the use of such phrases signals membership in the pack. Often, other pack animals engage with the questioner in a sort of call-and-response chant made up almost entirely of these phrases, signaling pack solidarity. We are still trying to figure out what "pancakes" means.

In our early days of studying humans, we thought they all enjoyed these phrases. But we've now observed some that don't. They complain that the phrases are monotonous, cliched, impenetrable to outsiders and annoying. We've theorized that these outliers value clarity and utilitarianism over pack solidarity. They are similar to the humans who are sometimes called "grammar nazis," a phrase we don't entirely understand. The word "nazi" seems to mean "soup vendor."

Our latest research indicates that though the outliers continually chastise other pack members for using cliched in-jokes, these critiques never significantly reduce the number of cliches used by various members of the pack. Even more surprising, we now suspect that the outliers know that their rants won't change anything. Though they've been ranting in the same way their entire lives, they've never noticed it achieving anything. We've concluded that they are participating in a human ritual called "blowing off steam."

Meanwhile, other members of the pack react with counter-chastisement, accusing the outlier of being an pedantic stickler with no sense of humor. (Sometimes these counter chastisements mention "beans." We're still trying to figure out what that means.) And yet it seems that these pack members, too, know that nothing will come of their actions. They have run into outliers countless times in the past, and they realize that no amount of bile or ostracism will stop the outliers from criticizing cliched behavior. So this also seems to be a blowing-off-steam ritual.

We've identified these rituals as direct offshoots of a more primitive primate behavior. The human impetus to fight about things they know won't change is closely related to a gorilla ritual called "chest beating." In young humans, it takes the form of "is SO!" "is NOT!" As the animal matures, it tends to use more complex phrases like, "Can we all agree to stop...?" and "Why don't you flag it and move on?"
posted by grumblebee at 4:24 PM on December 25, 2010 [67 favorites]

Bei uns ist alles besser, sogar die Schnowfleeks.
posted by Namlit at 4:27 PM on December 25, 2010

Maybe if we collectively stopped being so grumpy about people daring to think their AskMe questions are unique, people would stop feling the need to add self-deprecating in-jokes about special snowflakes to their posts, and then everyone would be happy. CHRISTMAS PARTY HATS ALL ROUND!
posted by Catseye at 4:35 PM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

nomadicink: "Jesus, what the fuck is wrong with you people, it's like no one got any heroin for Christmas.

Thanks Dad, you're the best!"

Tell your dad to call me.


posted by Splunge at 4:36 PM on December 25, 2010

i'm a goddam special raindrop.

Used in future for all water-related questions.
posted by immlass at 4:42 PM on December 25, 2010

counter-chastisement
Ah, Repartee, yes.

im so fuqing smashed
posted by clavdivs at 4:43 PM on December 25, 2010

in Soviet Russia, you ask special snowflake
in Soviet Russia, special snowflake answers you
posted by hexatron at 4:43 PM on December 25, 2010 [2 favorites]

Anyone else sick of everyone in askme describing their problem as a special snowflake?

Oh ye fishes and little gods, yes!

It sets my teeth on edge.

Not because I agree that

as much as we'd like to believe our problems are that unique, they really aren't

(I don't)

but just because I just really, really, really hate that phrase.
posted by with the singing green stars as our guide at 5:43 PM on December 25, 2010

What's with all these special snowflakes that just have to tell the world what they hate?
posted by nomadicink at 5:49 PM on December 25, 2010 [2 favorites]

In one of the previous threads on this topic, the mods said something to the effect of "unless it becomes an epidemic there's nothing to be done," and I asked what would constitute an epidemic, and they said essentially "we'll know it when we see it." It has become pretty much a daily thing at this point, multiple times a day in many cases, and yeah, I count myself as one of the annoyed. I'm not going to lose sleep over it (especially tonight, because holy moley awesome Christmas feast and I'm surprised I'm still even perpendicular), but it's one of those irritating things that, unlike previous MeFi fads, seems to be increasing exponentially rather than cresting and then respectfully dying off or at least leveling out, like "this X, it vibrates," portobello mushrooms, taters, plate of beans, etc.
posted by Gator at 5:51 PM on December 25, 2010 [4 favorites]

Well, this thread lets people know that use of the phrase may lead to an ignoring and/or a good mocking, so perhaps IT'S ANOTHER CHRISTMAS MIRACLE
posted by angrycat at 5:57 PM on December 25, 2010

>>your problems are notspecial snowflakes. so quit using that description.

Um, I always thought that was the point.
posted by J. Wilson at 6:02 PM on December 25, 2010

I'm just glad to learn what the hive-mind thinks about snowflakes.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 6:05 PM on December 25, 2010

I'm totally okay with snowflakes at this juncture, but I'm wracking my brain trying to figure out what a "special dental impression" is. A special bite mark? A special tooth something? I feel like I'm missing out on a joke/pun that's obvious to everyone else, and it's ruining my Christmas cheer!
posted by amyms at 6:17 PM on December 25, 2010

but I'm wracking my brain trying to figure out what a "special dental impression" is.

It's something unique, like a snowflake. Or a tater.
posted by nomadicink at 6:20 PM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

but I'm wracking my brain trying to figure out what a "special dental impression" is.

Forensics use dental records to identify bodies, so apparently no two are the same unless it's Hollywood.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 6:23 PM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

It's something unique...

... no two are the same

Ohhh. Duh!

Silly me. I was overthinking an upper plate of bean-encrusted dentures.
posted by amyms at 6:34 PM on December 25, 2010

tl;dr

This complaint isn't a special snowflake.

I'm more tired of people telling other people what they can and cannot say.

Like bite me. I hate that we can't say that anymore.
posted by cjorgensen at 6:40 PM on December 25, 2010 [4 favorites]

Merry Christmas!

You can all be special snowflakes if you like. I'm feeling magnanimous.

Plus, I got my I [+] Metafilter shirt yesterday, just in time for Christmas! Special snowflakes or not, matt obviously loves me most.

I think it's because I use caps.
posted by misha at 6:49 PM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

I'm with hermitosis. There are some other cliches that get on my nerves. I don't remember what they are, but I often don't answer questions that contain them for that reason. I'm not doing this to punish anyone or to change anyone's behavior, but because I participate here for fun, and going into a question annoyed with the asker at the outset can be a bad idea.
posted by grouse at 6:49 PM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

I can't believe you people are posting to MeTa on xmas day.

Oh wait.
posted by unSane at 7:01 PM on December 25, 2010 [2 favorites]

Yeah, exactly: it's Boxing Day.
posted by UbuRoivas at 7:02 PM on December 25, 2010 [2 favorites]

These types of situations and pet peeves can be wonderful and low-risk opportunities for practising letting go.
posted by iamkimiam at 7:13 PM on December 25, 2010 [6 favorites]

... look there is the snowflake he is perfect.
posted by arcticseal at 7:19 PM on December 25, 2010 [2 favorites]

God it looks like NYC is gonna get 15 inches of very special snowflakes tomorrow.
posted by The Whelk at 7:24 PM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

Plus, I got my I [+] Metafilter shirt yesterday, just in time for Christmas! Special snowflakes or not, matt obviously loves me most.

I keep having terrible ideas for a photoset in my new t-shirt.
posted by The Whelk at 7:25 PM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

Yeah, exactly: it's Boxing Day.

i've got my punching bag set up so mohammed ali can come down my chimney and give me more presents under it
posted by pyramid termite at 7:30 PM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

THIS IS MY SNOWFLAKE. THERE ARE MY MANY LIKE IT BUT MY SNOWFLAKE IS SPECIAL.
posted by The Whelk at 7:40 PM on December 25, 2010 [3 favorites]

Wait what? The ponies aren't real? Way to ruin my Christmas!
posted by ellenaim at 8:10 PM on December 25, 2010

The Magic of Herself the Elf.
posted by winna at 8:18 PM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

holy crap I just logged onto cricinfo to see if the rain delay was over and Australia were bowled out for 98, wtf.
posted by gaspode at 8:29 PM on December 25, 2010

worst complaint ever.
posted by blaneyphoto at 8:33 PM on December 25, 2010

it looks like NYC is gonna get 15 inches

It is taking every last bit of my barely existent self-control to allow this entendre to remain undoubled.
posted by elizardbits at 8:51 PM on December 25, 2010 [16 favorites]

Show us where the 15 inches of crystalline water ice doubled you over.
posted by nomadicink at 8:59 PM on December 25, 2010 [4 favorites]

Remember that Jimi Hendrix lyric where he goes "'scuse me while I kiss this guy"? Man that makes me so angry! Why should he have to excuse himself before he kisses another dude?
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 9:03 PM on December 25, 2010 [3 favorites]

Maybe he was in mid-conversation and just asked handed his drink off so he could have two hands free to kiss this guy.
posted by The Whelk at 9:04 PM on December 25, 2010 [3 favorites]

i am we have all been there
posted by The Whelk at 9:06 PM on December 25, 2010 [2 favorites]

oh hey look a floor
posted by The Whelk at 9:06 PM on December 25, 2010 [2 favorites]

.
posted by The Whelk at 9:07 PM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

Can I have his drink?
posted by nomadicink at 9:15 PM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

You know what makes me sad? The last time we had discussion, I set up an account under the name "special snowflake" and now I can't remember the password. Poor special snowflake can't even defend itself.

Consider special snowflakes Christmas officially ruined.

Thanks for nothing.
posted by fyrebelley at 9:15 PM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

There are no special snowflakes.
posted by ~Sushma~ at 9:19 PM on December 25, 2010

'We all know that no two snowflakes are the same, but we don’t really think about how they form....Therefore, even snowflakes could be used for divination'.

snowblind
posted by clavdivs at 9:25 PM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

i am just becoming increasingly annoyed by the need to

.
posted by polymodus at 9:25 PM on December 25, 2010

Fuck regulating the askers, let's regulate the answerers. The reason this behavior develops is because of pile-ons. Posters have to write long explanations explaining away every possible political attack or site codified behavior attack that can shit all over their threads. So instead of writing out those long diatribes they instead cram some sort of site in-joke in there in order to not have to do that. So the solution for the in-joke pandemic is to not hammer on people for not writing that list into their original question. Then they won't feel the need to surround their question fortress with in-joke defensive battlements.
posted by edbles at 4:10 PM on August 20 [33 favorites -]
posted by mlis at 10:03 PM on December 25, 2010 [8 favorites]

A Snowflake Special sounds like a revolver from the twee-est noir ever.
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:04 PM on December 25, 2010 [16 favorites]

If this metatalk were an ice cream flavor, it'd be pralines and DICK.
posted by two lights above the sea at 10:11 PM on December 25, 2010 [10 favorites]

A Snowflake Special sounds like a revolver from the twee-est noir ever.

Or maybe the next New Vegas DLC.

Aaaaarrrrrrrghhhhhh, why did I start Dead Money on Hardcore Mode? Stop dying all the goddamn time!
posted by Rangeboy at 10:28 PM on December 25, 2010

I gotta tell you, every time someone bitches about style, a phrase or word choice or what have you and it isn't about something that is actually, you know, offensive, it really really really makes me want to go right out and use those words/style/phrases. Just to piss them off.

And because complaining about them is just plain silly.
posted by edgeways at 10:32 PM on December 25, 2010

A Snowflake Special sounds like a revolver from the twee-est noir ever.

It's part of the new update in....Twee Fortress 2
posted by hellojed at 10:44 PM on December 25, 2010

❆ ❄ ❅ Tis the season! ❅ ❄ ❆
posted by Mizu at 11:11 PM on December 25, 2010

The reason this behavior develops is because of pile-ons. Posters have to write long explanations explaining away every possible political attack or site codified behavior attack that can shit all over their threads.

Or they could just:

1. ask the question
2. note that "specific details" are available after the fold

My issue with "special snowflake" is it's a cute-ism. Not that I mind cute. I love it it when it involves puppy dogs, small children, tiny little birds. But it rubs me the wrong way when adults resort to it, kind of like baby talk between anyone over the age of say, five or six.

Grow up.
posted by philip-random at 11:47 PM on December 25, 2010 [5 favorites]

Don' wanna gwow up!
posted by cgc373 at 12:35 AM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

Merry Christmas, old movie house!
posted by nola at 12:35 AM on December 26, 2010

Man. I was all fine with "special snowflake" until this thread taught me it was a Fight Club reference.

This must be stopped.
posted by brundlefly at 12:38 AM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

VioletK: this was the thread I was going to start prior to getting distracted by booze and food about 7 hours ago.

Mind you, the outbreak of "special snowflakes" is such that every other person seems to be one these days and therefore much less special than they think.

Which is good, innit?


**buuurrrrrp**

Merry Christmasss....

*ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzz*
posted by ninazer0 at 1:02 AM on December 26, 2010

ellenaim writes "Wait what? The ponies aren't real? Way to ruin my Christmas!"

Ponies are real. I've seen them.
posted by Mitheral at 1:05 AM on December 26, 2010

it drives me crazy when people say "hacks."

also not everybody celebrates or cares about christmas.
posted by timory at 2:11 AM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

Has the grievance pole been erected? Good. I would like it if we could stop with the unsolicited typed schmoopy hugs on the grey. It's a tiresome way of ending discourse, and if you want to say thank you just say thank you. Like many Mefites human beings, there is nothing wrong with me that a typed hug is likely to fix, so keep your special snowflake typing hands to your special snowflake typing selves. Unless of course we meet in person, because I've never met a real-world Mefite that I didn't like. That goes for you too, you know who you are. Hint: I told you your hometown was shit. Nice, huh?

Merry Christmas, old movie house!

Hey! old Savings and Loan!
I hate xmas with the dispassion of a thousand careless nursing home attendants, but I hope I can still have George Bailey's enthusiasm for life twenty years from now when the genetic schedule has me crapping in a diaper.

Heyo, Buzzkill! Cheers!
posted by kuujjuarapik at 2:16 AM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

I feel a very special snowcrash coming on.
posted by kaibutsu at 3:38 AM on December 26, 2010

And because complaining about them is just plain silly.

But it's not. This site is full of people who write or design or otherwise create for a living or as an obsession, people who care a lot about the way things look and sound. It would be silly to complain about such things in YouTube comments, where the dregs of internet society lurk, but people here care about things people don't care about in the YouTube comments section.

Sure, you shouldn't take hostages and force the cops to surround your house over such things, but writing a note in the section of this web site designed for writing such notes is encouraged behavior. And it doesn't matter what day of the year it is; the mods can carry on guzzling their 180-proof "ostrich egg nog" and kissing semi-willing strangers under stealth mistletoe sprigs as long as other people don't make threads explode by acting as if a murder has been committed.
posted by pracowity at 4:25 AM on December 26, 2010 [6 favorites]

Damn, you sure know how to crap on things.

I have just one question.
posted by timsteil at 4:59 AM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

and FWIW, member since 2007, O posts, O comments? I'm pretty sure you are in the wrong place.
posted by timsteil at 5:02 AM on December 26, 2010

Ask MeFi: 36 questions , 760 answers

timsteil: OP is clearly active on the green. Last I checked we don't allow/disallow opinions based on how often one contributes to a subsite. There are many users who don't participate much or at all on one or more of the subsites. It's the way this place works. To pretend as if every user has to be active on every part of the site is nonsense.
posted by proj at 5:17 AM on December 26, 2010 [3 favorites]

Not to mention this is a MeTa about the green, where the OP is plenty active.
posted by proj at 5:18 AM on December 26, 2010 [2 favorites]

The dictionary is your friend.
posted by Decani at 5:19 AM on December 26, 2010

She's a frequent Ask user and her comment here was specifically related to Ask.
posted by pracowity at 5:22 AM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

It's not obvious to me that the comment was meant sarcastically or ironically, but don't let me stop you from being condescending.
posted by proj at 5:23 AM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

You know what? It's just human nature. I am pretty sure the answers to every Relationship filter question can be boiled down to:

1) Tell him
2) DTMFA
3) Therapy

People are not stupid. Askers know this. "Special snowflake details inside" is just a shorthand for "I understand the three likely outcomes and I'm pretty sure all y'all are going to tell me to go with the one I myself know to be the most likely, but I need to be sure it's the right answer for my exact circumstances. Which, because I am an individual and not a member of the Borg collective, are in fact unique to me. Please do not minimise my distress."

I am 100% OK with that.
posted by DarlingBri at 6:55 AM on December 26, 2010 [18 favorites]

It has become pretty much a daily thing at this point, multiple times a day in many cases

I don't even see it any more. It's become invisible just like the post-it I put on the fridge last year to remind me of my New Year's resolutions.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 7:12 AM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

Speaking of snowflakes, here in NYC we were supposed to get pummeled with them. Where the hell are they?
posted by jonmc at 7:13 AM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

The use of the term snowflake is geographicalist- feel free to suggest a better word-, some of us can't relate since we live in places where it does not snow. Those of us who used to live in places where it snows may not wish to be reminded of snow. No matter how special my precious problems might be I will never ever use the term snowflake in any description of them.
posted by mareli at 7:16 AM on December 26, 2010

Sometimes it's a relief to know that you're not the only one to be experiencing a particular thing and other times it's the worst thing in the world to know that what you're experiencing is all too common and it's been hashed out a trillion times before, so the urge to differentiate your problem because of your own unique circumstances is understandable.

Someone using what could be considered to be a hackneyed phrase doesn't negate the problem they're asking about. Every now and then I'll read something incredibly funny somewhere and then see that lol has been attached to the end of it and I'll go urgh, but it didn't stop me laughing up until that point. I may not like that lol but it doesn't mean that everything that came before it is worth nothing.

I really agree with the comments above about not dismissing things because of a personal bugbear, particularly when it's a throw-away phrase that's most likely being used because it is a common thing to say around here and people are trying to fit in with community norms, because I really like the whole case by case thing that Metafilter seems to be based around. I'm not saying that people who hate 'special snowflake' are wrong. Hate what you want! I hate berets but I try really hard not to dismiss a beret wearer who has problems other than their choice of headwear.
posted by h00py at 7:23 AM on December 26, 2010 [4 favorites]

It's all just goddamn raindrops over here at the moment, and yet one person's backyard full of weeds and mould growing on walls is another person's flood.
posted by h00py at 7:25 AM on December 26, 2010

It's not obvious to me that the comment was meant sarcastically or ironically, but don't let me stop you from being condescending.
posted by proj at 1:23 PM on December 26

Wouldn't dream of it, dude. One of the sweetest, most satisfying joys of using irony is being condescending to those who are too treacle-witted to get it. The other, of course, is sharing a sense of comradely superiority with those who aren't.
posted by Decani at 7:58 AM on December 26, 2010 [2 favorites]

It is snowing like a son of a gun here...we don't normally get this kind of snow.

I have a bowl of very special snowflakes. Mixed with evaporated milk, sugar and vanilla.

Rock on, snowflakes, rock on.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 8:05 AM on December 26, 2010

I'm not reading this whole thread, but I find the whole 'special snowflake' thing unbearably precious, tired and irritating and I wish people would stop using it.
posted by empath at 8:07 AM on December 26, 2010 [3 favorites]

Sure, you shouldn't take hostages and force the cops to surround your house over such things, but writing a note in the section of this web site designed for writing such notes is encouraged behavior.

Oh please, it was a petty and snide comment, written that way because they were OMG tired and probably using MetaTalk to take out their anger. The request was complaining about a site idiom, yet the writer can't be bothered to use capital letters.

The OP shouldn't be taken seriously on this request and should have mashed potatoes flicked at them from everyone at the table while jokingly being told to get a life.
posted by nomadicink at 8:17 AM on December 26, 2010 [5 favorites]

empath, how dare you express such a negative opinion on the DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS
posted by hermitosis at 8:18 AM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

It's boxing day so all you people get new uniforms.
posted by The Whelk at 8:19 AM on December 26, 2010

Speaking of snowflakes, here in NYC we were supposed to get pummeled with them. Where the hell are they?

They just started here in northern NJ. I assume they'll get to you as soon as they stop off at the Shell station in Secaucus for gas and get through the Lincoln Tunnel.
posted by mintcake! at 8:32 AM on December 26, 2010 [2 favorites]

Actually, It started coming down here in Queens. I'm just back from getting neccessities (toilet paper, beer) at a beswarmed Key Food.
posted by jonmc at 8:35 AM on December 26, 2010

So many bees at the Key Food, all stockin' up on shovels and handwarmers and fruit juice.
posted by The Whelk at 8:36 AM on December 26, 2010 [2 favorites]

I actually really dislike all site-specific jargon. "Special snowflake" and "grar" and such just really make everything seem insular.
posted by Threeway Handshake at 8:55 AM on December 26, 2010

Gosh, yes. Why, it's almost as if this were a comfortable, decade-old community of friends having a good time!
posted by five fresh fish at 9:02 AM on December 26, 2010 [9 favorites]

Please hope me hive mind, my grarometer is rising. My roommate apparently drank too much last night and is puking about 3 feed from my bedroom door. Please help me hack him to make him stop. He isn't usually like this. Snowflake details inside.
posted by Ad hominem at 9:08 AM on December 26, 2010

"Business!" cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again. "Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!"
posted by electroboy at 9:09 AM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

It started coming down here in Queens.

If it's the same storm that just dumped a beautiful batch of fluffy whiteness all over Raleigh you're in for a helluva treat.
posted by mediareport at 9:18 AM on December 26, 2010

No snow yet in West Philly.
And it'd be nice if it fuckin stayed that way
posted by angrycat at 9:22 AM on December 26, 2010

mediareport: nothing in New York City stays fluffy and white for long.
posted by jonmc at 9:30 AM on December 26, 2010

❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄❆❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ need milk, better make a dash. -. no, not that kind of dash.
posted by longsleeves at 9:49 AM on December 26, 2010 [5 favorites]

Snowing now. Well fuck a duck. /picks up banjo.
posted by angrycat at 9:53 AM on December 26, 2010

Afroblanco: "I fucking hate memes."

If you say it enough times, maybe they'll go away.
posted by gman at 10:00 AM on December 26, 2010 [2 favorites]

RT @Afroblanco: I fucking hate memes.
posted by unSane at 10:10 AM on December 26, 2010 [10 favorites]

mediareport: nothing in New York City stays fluffy and white for long.

With all due respect, gentleman of leisure and Manhattan entrepreneurialist Fluffy White begs to differ.
posted by Astro Zombie at 10:11 AM on December 26, 2010

I hate fucking memes.
posted by nomadicink at 10:18 AM on December 26, 2010

I hate fucking mimes.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 10:26 AM on December 26, 2010 [5 favorites]

I hate fucking mimes.
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:32 AM on December 26, 2010 [5 favorites]

In mother russia memes hate fucking you.
posted by Ad hominem at 10:35 AM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

But I'm a special snowflake!
posted by nomadicink at 10:38 AM on December 26, 2010

I see violetk has disabled her account.

well, I hope they reconsider and come back soon great loss to metafilter etc etc
posted by sgt.serenity at 10:59 AM on December 26, 2010

I meme hate fucking.
posted by special-k at 11:00 AM on December 26, 2010

*mimes hate fucking*
posted by jonmc at 11:01 AM on December 26, 2010 [5 favorites]

I see violetk has disabled her account.

?
posted by cortex (staff) at 11:02 AM on December 26, 2010

sgt.serenity: "I see violetk has disabled her account."

Did you get a new pair of glasses for Christmas?
posted by gman at 11:03 AM on December 26, 2010 [2 favorites]

Ooo, somebody got mushrooms for Christmas! They better share.
posted by nomadicink at 11:04 AM on December 26, 2010

I fucking hate memes.
posted by Afroblanco at 5:47 PM on December 26

Yo dawg, I heard you hate memes, so I put a Pedobear in your keyboard cat so you can keep calm while you carry on.

Problem?
posted by Decani at 11:09 AM on December 26, 2010 [4 favorites]

I'm not reading this whole thread, but I find the whole 'special snowflake' thing unbearably precious, tired and irritating and I wish people would stop using it.
posted by empath

Eponysterical!
posted by Decani at 11:30 AM on December 26, 2010

❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ❆ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❅ ❄ ... [and so on]

longsleeves, my 51 year old eyes aren't up to it. If all those snowflakes are actually different from one another, I salute you. If not, I cry foul.

And timsteil ... I have just one question ... Holy Shit! The Call! I had completely forgotten about The Call.

"I don't believe there are any Russians
And there ain't no Yanks
Just corporate criminals
Playing With Tanks"

It's 1983 and I believe my young[er] mind just got blown.
posted by philip-random at 11:38 AM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

I hate mimes.

Clowns Vs Mimes

"You only pick on us because we're artists."
posted by philip-random at 11:40 AM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

Like bite me. I hate that we can't say that anymore.

i routinely tell people to bite me. […]
posted by violetk at 11:48 AM on December 26, 2010

I'm honestly tired of opening MeTa every other day and having somebody or other tell me what to say or not say. So put that in your pipe and smoke it.
posted by patheral at 11:51 AM on December 26, 2010 [7 favorites]

Oh please, it was a petty and snide comment, written that way because they were OMG tired and probably using MetaTalk to take out their anger. The request was complaining about a site idiom, yet the writer can't be bothered to use capital letters.


you seem pretty insistent that i harbor all sorts of anger and resentment, rather than just being a whiny complainer.

also, i don't cap on the interwebs. get over it. better that than piss-ass spelling and grammar.
posted by violetk at 11:56 AM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

I'd like to pop a cap in that comment.
posted by gman at 11:59 AM on December 26, 2010 [2 favorites]

better that than piss-ass spelling and grammar.
Piss-ant, maybe? Or piss-ass is fine, too, I guess.
posted by thinkpiece at 12:05 PM on December 26, 2010

also, i don't cap on the interwebs. get over it.

She's a loner, Dottie, a rebel...
posted by jonmc at 12:06 PM on December 26, 2010 [8 favorites]

I'm honestly tired of opening MeTa every other day and having somebody or other tell me what to say or not say.

Can't speak for everyone here but I'm not telling anyone what to say or not to say. But I am registering my deep and heartfelt loathing of a certain thing a lot of people choose to say. There is a difference.
posted by philip-random at 12:06 PM on December 26, 2010 [2 favorites]

you seem pretty insistent that i harbor all sorts of anger and resentment, rather than just being a whiny complainer.

How DARE you say that about my mother, she was a saint every time she made bail.
posted by nomadicink at 12:17 PM on December 26, 2010

longsleeves, my 51 year old eyes aren't up to it. If all those snowflakes are actually different from one another, I salute you. If not, I cry foul.

Those are copied and pasted. not-at-all-special snowflakes.
posted by longsleeves at 12:21 PM on December 26, 2010

also, i don't cap on the interwebs. get over it.

Fight the Power!
posted by ob at 12:26 PM on December 26, 2010 [2 favorites]

Metafilter: I fucking hate memes.
posted by The Whelk at 12:35 PM on December 26, 2010

I also hate this phrase (quoting Fight Club in 2010?) but accept that its part of the common vernacular and shorthand for a complex idea. I would urge people to use more original language, but I can also understand the appeal.
posted by codacorolla at 12:36 PM on December 26, 2010

special fuckflakes
posted by mullacc at 12:39 PM on December 26, 2010 [5 favorites]

Now all those people who were going to write "special snowflake" have a lot more options!

Me, I'm going with special snausage. Because snausages.
posted by Wuggie Norple at 12:39 PM on December 26, 2010

also, i don't cap on the interwebs. get over it.

Okay. As long as you can get over the fact that I always judge people who don't use caps to be snot-witted, indolent pricks, we're cool.
posted by Decani at 12:51 PM on December 26, 2010 [7 favorites]

The beautiful thing about FoxReplace is that you'll never have to see another special snowflake or Yakov Smirnoff joke again, and you won't even have to make a MetaTalk post about it.
posted by Drop Daedalus at 12:53 PM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

I fucking hate FoxReplace.
posted by pracowity at 12:56 PM on December 26, 2010

Why?
posted by Drop Daedalus at 12:59 PM on December 26, 2010

nasty ass snowgasm here. i see a lot of snowflakes out there, and none of them are special, and I shall laugh as they melt.
posted by angrycat at 1:01 PM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

Entitled, demanding, socially clueless whiny complainer

This THIS is why I still bother to maintain a kill file. Congratulations, violetk. You are, in fact, a very special snowflake.
posted by vers at 1:02 PM on December 26, 2010 [2 favorites]

I like how we're not allowed to be grumpy on Christmas Day. All other days are open season!
posted by Brocktoon at 1:03 PM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

And she's made a stunty post to AskMe
posted by Rumple at 1:06 PM on December 26, 2010

And she's made a stunty post to AskMe

If people could keep their MeTa dramas on MeTa it would mean less work for me today, thanks.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 1:11 PM on December 26, 2010 [6 favorites]

Well, I guess if you don't tell me how to phrase my questions, I won't tell you how to use your shift key. Sounds fair, looks like we're done here. Who wants leftovers?
posted by chaff at 1:13 PM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

Wow, all that and a stunt Ask MeFi? Merry fucking Modmas for sure.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 1:15 PM on December 26, 2010 [2 favorites]

If people could keep their MeTa dramas on MeTa it would mean less work for me today, thanks.

Stop oppressing me!
posted by nomadicink at 1:15 PM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

Can someone write a script to automatically parse my comments for negative words and automatically post eponysterical after it? It seems like it comes up enough that it would result in significant time savings.
posted by empath at 1:19 PM on December 26, 2010 [17 favorites]

And she's made a stunty post to AskMe

You know, I understand why someone might write that sentence, but really, it's AskMe, you know how it goes: Answer the question or move on. She may be stroking her chin and twiddling her mustache in evil glee at the question or hiding in the basement in tears over the fear of having meet the kids. I don't know and neither do you, so assigning shitty motives to her question seems less than helpful you know?

If you don't have anything nice to say, make a post on Tumblr.
posted by nomadicink at 1:22 PM on December 26, 2010 [2 favorites]

(With due respect to the mods)This is a pissing contest. It's as if a wave of elitist, snarkful brainiacs splashing down judgment on n00bs and the little guy that picks his nose in class. C'mon, you aren't the first asses to sit on the throne of the world wide interweb of forums. While the lot of you were piddling in your Pampers, the rest of us were duking it out on IRC, RIME and FidoNet forums, the only difference is we had to download and upload at 300 baud. AND we were not pussies, not afraid to challenge the Kings and Queens. Everyone has a learning curve. What bothers me the most is that the very people that contribute the quietest discourse are the first to jab and run. That thoroughly disappoints me as a newbie to the gray.


Oh, and you all like MEMES, admit it. (there's your hug)


.
posted by ~Sushma~ at 1:29 PM on December 26, 2010

assigning shitty motives to her question seems less than helpful you know?

Before I edited it--because I do not want to have this fight in more than one place--it had an italicized super special snowflake details inside before the [more inside]. Seriously, I don't need the headache today, or any day really.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 1:34 PM on December 26, 2010 [3 favorites]

The irony of someone who disdains the conventions of punctuation whining about how others express themselves is just priceless.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 1:37 PM on December 26, 2010 [3 favorites]

I'm honestly tired of opening MeTa every other day and having somebody or other tell me what to say or not say.

I can imagine, in the world where that actually happens, that that must be terrifically annoying.
posted by Astro Zombie at 1:40 PM on December 26, 2010

also, i don't cap on the interwebs. get over it.

posted by violetk at 2:56 PM

I find it funny that you're telling someone to "get over it" after starting this asinine Metatalk thread (on Christmas day) and then making a stunty AskMe post.

you seem pretty insistent that i harbor all sorts of anger and resentment, rather than just being a whiny complainer.

Yeah right. A whiny complainer doesn't make stunty AskMe posts. Looks like you're the former.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 1:44 PM on December 26, 2010 [2 favorites]

it had an italicized super special snowflake details inside before the [more inside].

Yeah, saw that, but I'm full of Festivus cheer and grain alchohol.
posted by nomadicink at 1:46 PM on December 26, 2010

Yet another object lesson on the fact that framing matters. I.e., if you make what might be a legitimate complaint about something in a snotful way, people will spend more time talking about how snotful you are than the irritating thing you hoped they'd agree with you about.
posted by Gator at 1:53 PM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

if you make what might be a legitimate complaint about something in a snotful way, people will spend more time talking about how snotful you are than the irritating thing you hoped they'd agree with you about.

true. snot unusual.
posted by jonmc at 1:54 PM on December 26, 2010

Also what's with this "cap" business? That threw me, as I genuinely didn't understand it at first. It took me at least a couple of reading to grasp that the intended word was "capitalize". If you're so lazy that you can't be bother to fini certai words perha you need to adj your prior.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 1:54 PM on December 26, 2010 [3 favorites]

oh yeah, I just hafta smack some italics upside youses peerineum.
posted by jonmc at 1:57 PM on December 26, 2010

Can someone write a script to automatically parse my comments for negative words and automatically post eponysterical after it? It seems like it comes up enough that it would result in significant time savings.
posted by empath at 9:19 PM on December 26

Wouldn't it be easier to just change your handle to "grumpsnarker_whinebeast"?
posted by Decani at 2:00 PM on December 26, 2010 [7 favorites]

snot-witted, indolent pricks

Entitled, demanding, socially clueless whiny complainer

ms. dramapants

whiny complainer

Jesus. This got ugly fast.
posted by proj at 2:02 PM on December 26, 2010 [3 favorites]

Your callipygian curves do not need a cap.
posted by nomadicink at 2:03 PM on December 26, 2010

It snot unusual to be loved by anyone....
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 2:04 PM on December 26, 2010 [3 favorites]

Jesus. This got ugly fast.
posted by proj at 10:02 PM on December 26

Ugliness is in the eye of the beholder. Don't be such a special snowflake. We're all hexagonal, at root.
posted by Decani at 2:05 PM on December 26, 2010

Fuck off.
posted by proj at 2:06 PM on December 26, 2010

Fuck off.
posted by proj at 10:06 PM on December 26

Thank the baby Jesus that at this glorious Yuletide we have you to bring beauty to this world of ugliness.
posted by Decani at 2:10 PM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

Fuck off.

Off is a mime, I wouldn't if I were you.
posted by nomadicink at 2:10 PM on December 26, 2010

Fuck off.

I prefer to fuck on.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 2:12 PM on December 26, 2010 [2 favorites]

Fuck on, right hand. Fuck off, left hand. Fuck on, fuck off. Breathe in through nose, out the mouth. Fuck on, fuck off. Don't forget to breathe, very important.
posted by gman at 2:13 PM on December 26, 2010 [6 favorites]

I'd hit a mime.
posted by UbuRoivas at 2:14 PM on December 26, 2010

(they give me the creeps & i wish they'd crawl back under the mime hole they came from)
posted by UbuRoivas at 2:15 PM on December 26, 2010

CAR!

















FUCK ON!
posted by nebulawindphone at 2:16 PM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

Jesus. This got ugly fast.

This shit right here done been born ugly.
posted by nevercalm at 2:17 PM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

I mime 'hate-fucking'
posted by unSane at 2:20 PM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

Decani: Near as I can tell, your role in this thread has pretty much just been "shit-stirrer."
posted by proj at 2:20 PM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

FUCK ON!
FUCK OFF!

The Fucker™!
posted by jonmc at 2:21 PM on December 26, 2010 [9 favorites]

unSane: "I mime 'hate-fucking'"

I'd love to see that, dude.
posted by gman at 2:21 PM on December 26, 2010

And if you call now, you get two fuckers for the price of one and we'll even through in a shit-stirrer!
posted by MaryDellamorte at 2:22 PM on December 26, 2010

Throw not through heh.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 2:23 PM on December 26, 2010

metafilter: posted by jessamyn at 1:11 PM on December 26.

I sleep and burp at 1:11 PM on December 26 (and pretty much anytime else). Snowflakes outdoors, though, as opposed to "inside". (not special any more, too). Oh, and Merry Christmas, all.
posted by Namlit at 2:26 PM on December 26, 2010

I nominate this as this thread's theme song.
posted by The Whelk at 2:28 PM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

Boxing Day TKO.
posted by effluvia at 2:46 PM on December 26, 2010

I've been putting together this idea for doing semantic markup on the internet - something like the transcript analysis tools that lawyers use. Basically you take a comment thread like this one and mark it up according to a set of criteria you've defined. My hypothesis is that if you do this with enough threads you might see some patterns emerge. i.e. with posts of type X, a response of type Y will emerge within the first N responses. Member foo produces a comparatively high rate of comment type baz. In any argument, it can be predicted that certain stages will be passed through in order, et cetera. I just think that would be more interesting than doing what I normally do, which is read through these pile-ons and get more and more depressed.
posted by Ritchie at 2:58 PM on December 26, 2010 [2 favorites]

Gatorade delivery for a Mr. S. Snowflake, for purposes of Keeping On Keeping On.

Can someone sign for this? It's prepaid and you get the popcorn for free.

I gotta get back to the store, the snow's piling up out here.
posted by mephron at 3:08 PM on December 26, 2010

Just another self-serving metatalk whinefest.
posted by iconomy at 3:14 PM on December 26, 2010

NOW THE BLIZZARD HAS LIGHTING.
posted by The Whelk at 3:15 PM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

SRSLY IT IS SO AWESOME
posted by elizardbits at 3:19 PM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

This is totally Evil Wizardry weather.
posted by The Whelk at 3:23 PM on December 26, 2010 [2 favorites]

THUNDERSNOW
posted by Threeway Handshake at 3:25 PM on December 26, 2010

Actually, member "fu" produces a comparatively high rate of comment type "bar."
posted by nevercalm at 3:45 PM on December 26, 2010

which is read through these pile-ons and get more and more depressed.

To clarify: are we piling on those who use "special snowflake" (even ironically), or those who are sick to slow, painful death of the phrasing and can't cease voicing their disapproval? Because it seems to me that neither side is exactly winning here.
posted by philip-random at 3:45 PM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

Wow, it's really coming down. Was going to hit the bar but was afraid of thundersnow. Then I fell on my ass in the lobby.
posted by Ad hominem at 3:47 PM on December 26, 2010

Sounds like you've had enough already.
posted by Astro Zombie at 3:51 PM on December 26, 2010

I have a glowing umbrella and a low black greatcoat and a top hat. I feel like I should be wandering the streets as a ghostly apparition.
posted by The Whelk at 3:51 PM on December 26, 2010 [3 favorites]

So far I've got this list or words and phrases I'd like to use more often on MetaFitler:

* "pearl clutching"
* "Um" as the first word of a sentence when snarking.
* "Really?" when disagreeing with someone.
* "Special snowflake"

I'd like to build on this list. Suggestions?
posted by eyeballkid at 3:54 PM on December 26, 2010 [3 favorites]

I might even use them more on "MetaFilter" as well.
posted by eyeballkid at 3:55 PM on December 26, 2010

I'd like to build on this list. Suggestions?

@[username]
posted by Threeway Handshake at 3:57 PM on December 26, 2010

FUCK ON
APPLY DIRECTLY TO FOREHEAD
FUCK ON
APPLY DIRECTLY TO FOREHEAD
posted by Sidhedevil at 3:58 PM on December 26, 2010 [3 favorites]

MetaFitler: Comes pre-Godwined for your convenience!
posted by overglow at 4:01 PM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

Okay I'm making a beer run, and I'll be wearing head to toe black 40s-drag and sulking around like a Who villain.
posted by The Whelk at 4:01 PM on December 26, 2010 [6 favorites]

Some more ideas:

#hashtags on every comment
Trending topics page, from hashtags
[via Reddit] appended to every FPP; if poster forgets, the first person to point out it is via Reddit will get 5 karma points.
Karma point system (insightful, funny, etc.)
posted by Threeway Handshake at 4:02 PM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

and sulking around like a Who villain

The Acid Queen, right?
posted by philip-random at 4:05 PM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

BELLBOY!
posted by Sidhedevil at 4:06 PM on December 26, 2010

HEY, I GOT YOU SOME CAPITAL LETTERS FOR CHRISTMAS BECAUSE YOU SEEMED TO BE RUNNING SHORT ON THEM SOMEHOW.

ALSO, SOME COMMAS AND SEMI-COLONS.

,,,,,,;;;;;

YOU'RE WELCOME!
posted by Sidhedevil at 4:08 PM on December 26, 2010 [6 favorites]

I HAVE SEMI-COLON CANCER, YOU INSENSITIVE FUCKOS!
posted by jonmc at 4:11 PM on December 26, 2010 [4 favorites]

Just a light dusting down here.

A little snow too!
posted by nomadicink at 4:20 PM on December 26, 2010

you know, i never thought about the fact that one of the benefits of quitting smoking means that I can actually survive without going outside for a while, which, given the weather, is a good thing.

although the frustration over the inability to go outside would be alleviated by a carton of Camel Lights.
posted by angrycat at 4:22 PM on December 26, 2010

I also discovered a weird thing: quitting smoking has made smoking in cinema really, really, hot. Any dude can pop a cigarette in his mouth and his acting skills really don't matter.
posted by angrycat at 4:23 PM on December 26, 2010

Also you don't smell like charred butt anymore, which is always a plus.
posted by elizardbits at 4:33 PM on December 26, 2010

Yeah, but you don't look half as cool as you used to.
posted by gman at 4:34 PM on December 26, 2010

If I had a bottle opener in my anus, I would let all of you pop a cap in my ass. Well, some of you.
posted by middleclasstool at 4:51 PM on December 26, 2010

It should not be necessary to futz around with settings to get a graphics program to work with the most common kind of graphics tablet. It should just magically happen.

Also, THUNDERSNOW sounds like a fun name for a glam-metal band.
posted by winna at 4:53 PM on December 26, 2010

Any dude can pop a cigarette in his mouth and his acting skills really don't matter.

Studios will now routinely ask you to go through a script and remove all references to smoking an anything destined to be PG13 or lower. You can still kill as many people as you like, however.
posted by unSane at 4:56 PM on December 26, 2010

What a mock of whit.
posted by gman at 5:06 PM on December 26, 2010

writing on the back of a Xmas card envelope

"not to self. proj...not so much for fetch"
posted by timsteil at 5:08 PM on December 26, 2010

Semicolon usually results in a colostomy.
posted by futz at 5:12 PM on December 26, 2010

Shat a crock of shit

How much shit would a shitcrock crock if a shitcrock could crock shit?

HANDS ACROSS THE WATER, WATER
HEADS ACROSS THE SKY
HANDS ACROSS THE WATER, WATER
HEADS ACROSS THE SKY
posted by Sidhedevil at 5:29 PM on December 26, 2010 [3 favorites]

I really want some of what y'all are drinking. I'm laughing my ass off at these comments . I have no booze and the roads suck too much to go to the store.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 5:48 PM on December 26, 2010

Old Fashioneds.
posted by special-k at 5:49 PM on December 26, 2010

I'm torn.

On the one hand, the answer to our special snowflake's fighty ask.me is clearly that she ought to talk to her boyfriend's kids about how to type and spell; the tutoring could be useful pocket money for them.

On the other hand posting that in the ask.me thread could be the catalyst for jessamyn to transcend our limited understanding of the universe, understand how matter and energy are one, and transmute herself to a being of pure energy. In order to reach through the Internet, out my monitor, and slap me silly.
posted by rodgerd at 5:58 PM on December 26, 2010 [4 favorites]

red velvet cake and vicodin.
posted by elizardbits at 6:01 PM on December 26, 2010 [2 favorites]

I have no booze and the roads suck too much to go to the store

If you're not willing to walk through a snowstorm for it, then you don't deserve it.
posted by nomadicink at 6:02 PM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

How I wish that I could "down vote" comments. It is probably a good thing that that would never happen, but DAMN.
posted by futz at 6:03 PM on December 26, 2010

An Old Fashioned, some Vicodin and a Red Velvet cake. That is heaven.
posted by Splunge at 6:04 PM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

Marry me Splunge?
posted by futz at 6:05 PM on December 26, 2010

Is it crazy to walk to the grocery store in the snow then pick up birdseed while you're in the catfood aisle and then strew birdseed along the street on the way home? You know, for birds?

Is that crazy?

Seriously, my roommate is laughing at me.
posted by mediareport at 6:07 PM on December 26, 2010 [4 favorites]

Or at least be my friend and only argue with me in small caps?
posted by futz at 6:07 PM on December 26, 2010

The beautiful thing about FoxReplace is that you'll never have to see another special snowflake or Yakov Smirnoff joke again, and you won't even have to make a MetaTalk post about it.

A big thank you to Drop Daedalus, I had never heard of FoxReplace. Now I've installed it and replaced all instances of [special snowflake] with [specific] and I am ever so happy! ^_^
posted by with the singing green stars as our guide at 6:10 PM on December 26, 2010 [2 favorites]

Wait, are you trying to draw out the birds so the cats can have some hors d'oeuvres?
posted by elizardbits at 6:11 PM on December 26, 2010 [2 favorites]

A girl walking two miles through a sketch neighborhood at night by herself is a really stupid idea no matter how good the booze is.

Mediareport, that sounds like something I'd do.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 6:15 PM on December 26, 2010

Shat a crock of shit.

This brings to mind El Caganer.
posted by longsleeves at 6:16 PM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

are you trying to draw out the birds so the cats can have some hors d'oeuvres?

No no, the birds were out all afternoon anyway, looking confused. I saw finches, cardinals and bluejays hopping around the branches, shaking big clouds of snow down onto the ground with every hop. Any spot there was even slightly clear ground had multiple birds pecking at it. I felt bad. I probably fed a lot of squirrels, but early birds and all that...
posted by mediareport at 6:26 PM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

could be the catalyst for jessamyn to transcend our limited understanding of the universe

I made a seven foot snowman from all you special snowflakes, and a few over here.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 6:32 PM on December 26, 2010 [15 favorites]

My Littlest Goddaughter got a very weird children's book as a present about a mopey snowflake who's all sad because he doesn't get to be part of a snowman. But then, Julia and Jacob spot him sitting all alone on a rock and use him as the twinkle in the snowman's eye! So the mopey snowflake is happy after all.



Yeah, I know, spoiler that shit. BITE ME.
posted by Sidhedevil at 6:39 PM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

Note: colorful sidekicks decrease the terrifying presence of a seven foot snowman.
posted by nomadicink at 6:48 PM on December 26, 2010

"Is it crazy to walk to the grocery store in the snow then pick up birdseed while you're in the catfood aisle and then strew birdseed along the street on the way home? You know, for birds?"

Crazy would be walking the birds to your neighbor's house. Carrying a hammer.
posted by iamkimiam at 6:54 PM on December 26, 2010

So I went for a beer run in my Amazing Black Outfit and Glowing Umbrella mostly so I could see the Storm and yeah wow, Manhattan does some Lothlorien shit in heavy snow, with the lights reflecting it back all pink and the heavy fog and big black shapes complete lack of people. Spooky. On my way back I notice a light. It's a bar I haven't seen before or maybe have seen but they all all these blue holiday lights up so I didn't see it before and now it's a huge fucking glowing beacon in the endless pepto bismal snow.

I kinda turn it and see a nice low kinda dive, lots of wood, dark, no TV, wrap around bar.

And it's totally empty. Not even a bartender. Just you and the reflections.

Then over the speakers comes this

I stand there,with my beer bag and glowing umbrella and big shiny boots for a full two minutes before slowly and carefully backing up and walking out.
posted by The Whelk at 7:04 PM on December 26, 2010 [22 favorites]

I see violetk has disabled her account.

I think that is an example of this "wishful thinking" I've been hearing so much about?
posted by booknerd at 7:23 PM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

The Whelk, it sounds like you found Brigadoon.
posted by rtha at 7:40 PM on December 26, 2010 [3 favorites]

I made a seven foot snowman from all you special snowflakes, and a few over here.

Can I send you my special snowflakes? I keep shoveling the walk and finding them all back as soon as I turn around. (High winds and powder snow - cursed things!)
posted by Karmakaze at 7:44 PM on December 26, 2010

The Whelk, it sounds like you found Brigadoon.

Aw damn 20 years of Irish drinking songs and fair faced lads. All the best stuff happens after I leave.
posted by The Whelk at 7:49 PM on December 26, 2010

Love, exciting and new
Come aboard, we're expecting you
Love, life's sweetest reward
Let it flow, it floats back to you

Love Boat soon will be making another run
The Love Boat promises something for everyone
Set a course for adventure
Your mind on a new romance

And love won't hurt anymore
It's an open smile on a friendly shore
It's love
Welcome aboard
It's love!
posted by clavdivs at 8:20 PM on December 26, 2010 [2 favorites]

I actually tend to celebrate snowfall by heading to the Central Park Zoo to visit the snow monkeys, and see them all sitting shoulder-deep in their hot pool with snow piled on their little heads.

So I combine my special snowflakes with monkey hair.

There's some kind of metaphor in there somewhere, but I'm not sure for what.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:26 PM on December 26, 2010 [2 favorites]

No two plo chops are alike.
posted by shakespeherian at 8:50 PM on December 26, 2010

Somebody has been paying attention to us.
posted by oneswellfoop at 9:05 PM on December 26, 2010 [4 favorites]

Whew!
My flabber has been completely gasted.
posted by Drasher at 9:25 PM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

"Special snowflakes" are the new "sweater stuffers."
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 10:15 PM on December 26, 2010

No two plo chops are alike.

Or as Heraclitus put it, you cannot suck twice the same dick.
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:25 PM on December 26, 2010 [2 favorites]

That sad snowflake makes me sad! I would hug it, but then it would melt. More sad!
posted by winna at 10:30 PM on December 26, 2010

Can someone write a script to automatically parse my comments for negative words and automatically post eponysterical after it? It seems like it comes up enough that it would result in significant time savings.
posted by empath at 9:19 PM on December 26

Wouldn't it be easier to just change your handle to "grumpsnarker_whinebeast"?
posted by Decani

I see Santa didn't bring someone any self-awareness.
posted by ambient2 at 11:20 PM on December 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

Hello, I am literally a tiny ice crystal falling from the sky, and my configuration is unique.
posted by Deathalicious at 11:28 PM on December 26, 2010 [2 favorites]

We're not allowed to say "bite me"? Fuck that shit.
posted by deborah at 11:49 PM on December 26, 2010

Damn still snowing. Since it's the middle of the night nobody is shoveling. Didn't realize I would have to scramble over 3ft drifts in loafers.
posted by Ad hominem at 12:32 AM on December 27, 2010

*adds "bite me" to the list*
posted by eyeballkid at 12:41 AM on December 27, 2010

Aw damn 20 years of Irish drinking songs and fair faced lads. All the best stuff happens after I leave.

It could have been a Rip van Winkle trap: bowling and drinking with the ghosts of freaky foreign men who slip a flunitrazepam into your beer and then, after doing god knows what with you, leave you to sleep until you are forgotten and your dog and friends and family are all old or dead.
posted by pracowity at 1:30 AM on December 27, 2010

There is no way that I'm going outside right now but I'm guessing there's two feet of "special" blocking my door. No newspaper this morning. Luckily I have bagels, coffee beans and a couple of bottles of bourbon from Christmas. I can probably make it until the rescue teams arrive.
posted by Splunge at 1:59 AM on December 27, 2010 [1 favorite]

I just woke up and learned that the transit system that I need to use to get to work has been shut down. There's no other way I can get there, so I think I can goof off for the day with impunity.

I'd certainly call all those little snowflakes that made this possible "special!"
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:19 AM on December 27, 2010

Decani: Near as I can tell, your role in this thread has pretty much just been "shit-stirrer."
posted by proj at 10:20 PM on December 26

Ah, right. And how would you describe a person who calls someone a shit-stirrer and tells them to fuck off in response to an obviously light-hearted remark? I only ask so that i can make an appropriate entry in my dictionary of alternative English usage.

I see Santa didn't bring someone any self-awareness.
posted by ambient2 at 7:20 AM on December 27

Aye, and he appears to have been somewhat ungenerous with the festive senses of humour, too.
posted by Decani at 5:08 AM on December 27, 2010

I've been told previously that I'm not allowed to tell anyone "Fuck Off", so I'll wish you a Happy New Year, instead.
posted by empath at 5:16 AM on December 27, 2010

10 print "eponysterical"
20 end

posted by UbuRoivas at 5:27 AM on December 27, 2010

sorry, still needs work.
posted by UbuRoivas at 5:28 AM on December 27, 2010

I'm all about fucking off.
posted by nomadicink at 5:32 AM on December 27, 2010

violetk? What is laggy2hope's view on this issue?
posted by Kwine at 5:43 AM on December 27, 2010

This has nothing to do with absolutely anything, but someone just posted the ultimate rage comic on reddit.
posted by empath at 5:45 AM on December 27, 2010 [2 favorites]

That's funny, I was thinking there should be take on Thug Life, but called GRAR LIFE.
posted by nomadicink at 5:54 AM on December 27, 2010

Jesus. This got ugly fast.

THIS. IS. META!!!!
posted by milarepa at 6:15 AM on December 27, 2010 [3 favorites]

Or as Heraclitus put it, you cannot suck twice the same dick.

"Same peter cannot puff again. Much Later understand..."
posted by jonmc at 7:15 AM on December 27, 2010

I think that is an example of this "wishful thinking" I've been hearing so much about?


no not at all, it's self created meta commentary on the usual rigmarole of meme like meta narratives that come into threads at certain times of a meta post.
posted by sgt.serenity at 7:31 AM on December 27, 2010

You Just Lost The Game.
posted by mkultra at 8:27 AM on December 27, 2010 [1 favorite]

i want to go play in the snows but all my stupid friends are at work. now i have to build a fort all alone. sadface.
posted by elizardbits at 8:59 AM on December 27, 2010

SNONWFLAKES UNITED.

see, you can smoke the same pole twice. The fluids in the exchange process retain the attributes of varied flow and pressure.
posted by clavdivs at 9:11 AM on December 27, 2010 [2 favorites]

Sad snowflake on a t-shirt in 5... 4... 3... 2...
posted by PROD_TPSL at 11:30 AM on December 27, 2010

Doesn't "cap on the interweb" mean "to shoot the internet with a gun", in rappers' jargon?

I won't countenance threats of violence against the internet.
posted by everichon at 12:22 PM on December 27, 2010

It does have its ends that justify the means.
posted by clavdivs at 1:14 PM on December 27, 2010

The Whelk writes "This is totally Evil Wizardry weather."

No kidding. It's 10 degrees and there wasn't even any snow for Christmas after a snow eating wind blew in on Friday. Another week of this and I'll have to break out the bloody lawn mower.
posted by Mitheral at 1:38 PM on December 27, 2010

I'm late to the party, but I always assumed that folks using "special snowflake" were doing so ironically or with a nod-and-wink.
posted by smirkette at 2:38 PM on December 27, 2010

I'm late to the party, but I always assumed that folks using "special snowflake" were doing so ironically or with a nod-and-wink.

and occasionally as a sincere rebuke to thoise who actually believe themselves to be the aforementioned singular precipitation.
posted by jonmc at 2:51 PM on December 27, 2010

The Thread that Keeps on Giving.
posted by Splunge at 3:06 PM on December 27, 2010

futz: "Marry me Splunge"

It is done.
posted by Splunge at 3:27 PM on December 27, 2010

I'm late to the party too, but like violetk, I don't like it when people say things I don't like, so if everyone could avoid doing that in the future, that'd be great mmmmkay?
posted by dazed_one at 3:57 PM on December 27, 2010 [2 favorites]

Dear GHOD I hate when people do the mmmmkay thing. But I'll give my life to allow you to make that meme a special snowflake here. And as long as you don't mind me de-clawing your cilantro we will be fine. Please hope me help you. And bite me if you decide to be a douchebag about it.
posted by Splunge at 4:12 PM on December 27, 2010

Sadly, the only people who seem to bother with language in public today bother with it in quite the wrong way.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 4:14 PM on December 27, 2010

"...there five items or less", that fry utube was spot on sir.

Wick Hyperlink, internet dioplomat and accupressure.

cilantro , slowly I turn...
posted by clavdivs at 4:35 PM on December 27, 2010

Word association football.
posted by Splunge at 5:21 PM on December 27, 2010

This is the part, at the end of a very long thread, where we are indeed all friends. This is the part where the "OP" has gone to bed. And there are maybe one or two of the special ones. The ones that wish to either make strange comments or link to fascinating videos.

This is the End. My friend.

And so, I will hope that I and you two or three as well, can say what we wish.

Let me start.

Who cares about the words in Meta- Filter or otherwise? We are indeed ALL special snowflakes. Why? Because unless we are part of some kind of insect hive mind or a single ball of gas that is all of our thoughts as a single overarching intelligence, we are individuals.

That being so we speak as individuals.

BUT. And it's a big BUT. As individuals trying to fit in to the group, we grasp the vernacular of the group, and use it.

Then we have the carpet pulled out from under us. Then we are told, this phrase that you are using. This phrase that EVERYONE has been using is no longer right.

Okay, fine. We had a construct that we thought signified a certain thing. And the gods, the mods didn't tell us not to use these words. And IF THEY DID we would not use these words.

But no, this is not how we do this. How we do this is to pick one post, one instance and fuck them.

Which might work. Then we who have an opinion (I laugh hysterically when I type this, who here has no opinion?)

We pile on.

Merry Bottom of the Pile Mass.

And Happy Snark to ALL!
posted by Splunge at 5:45 PM on December 27, 2010

This is the End. My friend.

*drops napalm from plane*
posted by jonmc at 5:56 PM on December 27, 2010 [3 favorites]

Well ... my eyes have been opened.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 6:12 PM on December 27, 2010

Of course. That was the point. Now you are enlightened. And you are welcome.
posted by Splunge at 6:20 PM on December 27, 2010

We all pile on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Well, we all pile on
Everyone, c'mon
posted by unSane at 6:30 PM on December 27, 2010 [2 favorites]

It has been annoying me as well from overuse but it just doesn't seem worth getting shirty about. I generally take it to indicate shorthand for "I apologize in advance that I'm about to plunge into an overabundance of details most of which probably only seem significant and relevant to me, but I don't know how to properly filter them at this juncture." It's definitely not as bad as novelty lead-ins to "more inside."
posted by nanojath at 7:33 PM on December 27, 2010

I suddenly really *want* to use the phrase "special snowflake", though I never have before.
posted by orange swan at 7:37 PM on December 27, 2010

A special snowflake
Becomes a personal thing
And then it is not.
posted by Splunge at 7:38 PM on December 27, 2010

I love the smell of napalm on the Gray.

Mmm....DOW-licious!


Oh god I am old so very very old how did this even happen
posted by Sidhedevil at 7:56 PM on December 27, 2010

*dances in the dark*

*Gaga style, not blind bjork style*
posted by The Whelk at 7:57 PM on December 27, 2010

white phosphorus
posted by clavdivs at 8:00 PM on December 27, 2010

*dances in the dark*

*Gaga style, not blind bjork style*

Springsteen style, mister.
posted by jonmc at 8:05 PM on December 27, 2010 [3 favorites]

You know what bugs me? When people go "This." When answering and that is my special snowflake. Now back to the game. Who Dat!
posted by govtdrone at 8:17 PM on December 27, 2010

Springsteen style, mister.

In the right tone of voice that song becomes really, really dirty.
posted by The Whelk at 8:20 PM on December 27, 2010 [1 favorite]

Man oh man, I opened Meta- which I never do- hoping to find some clue about the whole Zelda thing, then saw this post, and thought- thank GOD! It's not just me!

But then I read it, and the first (small fraction) of the thread, and, I guess it kinda is.

Thing is - the 'special snowflake' thing- it's been annoying since Fight Club. And when I see it in ask, I read it as - ironic I guess. An annoyingly pro-forma self-deprecating thing. Like, oh, of course we're all too post-modern to think we really *are* special, but here's my unique thing anyway...

Annoying, because, wtf is the point of that? Is Ask full of answers that say "hey, what makes you think you're so special, whyncha go find your stupid answer in Wikipedia?" Do people *really* need to feel - or act like they feel - defensive about being individuals?

And in conclusion, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to take this opportunity to say
posted by hap_hazard at 8:50 PM on December 27, 2010

The airing of grievances continues. For my feats of strength, I will not be annoyed by trite phrases.
posted by wv kay in ga at 9:04 PM on December 27, 2010 [2 favorites]

:)
posted by clavdivs at 9:09 PM on December 27, 2010

For my feats of strength, I will not be annoyed by trite phrases.

Bless your heart.
posted by special-k at 9:21 PM on December 27, 2010 [1 favorite]

The feast of Zelda Day involves many apples, flowers, and ambiguous chunks of meat.
posted by The Whelk at 9:43 PM on December 27, 2010 [1 favorite]

There are the festooning of the rupees, the jars of faeries, the lamentation of the zoras, and the always popular bobbing for swords.
posted by The Whelk at 9:46 PM on December 27, 2010 [1 favorite]

I have eaten
the snowflakes
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold
posted by Sailormom at 10:38 PM on December 27, 2010 [3 favorites]

And these words shall then become
Like Oppression's thundered doom
Ringing through each heart and brain,
Heard again - again - again -

'Rise like snowflakes after slumber
In unvanquishable number -
Shake your chains to earth like dew
Which in sleep had fallen on you -
Ye are many - they are few.'
posted by facetious at 11:44 PM on December 27, 2010

Ancient pond
Flutter, splish:
A snowflake.
posted by UbuRoivas at 11:47 PM on December 27, 2010 [1 favorite]

A Mind of Winter: "The Snow Man" by Wallace Stevens

for sailormom
im in tears omg
posted by clavdivs at 12:04 AM on December 28, 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5ouua8GG2c
posted by clavdivs at 12:05 AM on December 28, 2010

ALL THESE SNOWFLAKES ARE YOURS
EXCEPT THE SPECIAL ONE
ATTEMPT NO QUESTIONS THERE.
posted by eyeballkid at 12:29 AM on December 28, 2010 [5 favorites]

From Storm of Paul and Storm:

Every snowflake is a unique pain in the ass.
posted by lukemeister at 6:50 AM on December 28, 2010

"special snowflake" is better than "hive mind".

God I hate that term.
posted by stormpooper at 7:47 AM on December 28, 2010 [1 favorite]

Hey, everybody, it's okay — they're both a particle and a wave. (Or maybe both a floorwax and a dessert topping?)

>In 1988, a cloud scientist named Nancy Knight (at the National Center for Atmospheric Research—let’s not defund it) took a plane up into the clouds over Wisconsin and found two simple but identical snow crystals, hexagonal prisms, each as like the other as one twin to another, as Cole Sprouse is like Dylan Sprouse. Snowflakes, it seems, are not only alike; they usually start out more or less the same.

Yet if this notion threatens to be depressing—with the suggestion that only the happy eye of nineteenth-century optimism saw special individuality here—one last burst of searching and learning puts a brighter seasonal spin on things. “As a snowflake falls, it tumbles through many different environments,” an Australian science writer named Karl Kruszelnicki explains. “So the snowflake that you see on the ground is deeply affected by the different temperatures, humidities, velocities, turbulences, etc, that it has experienced on the way.” Snowflakes start off all alike; their different shapes are owed to their different lives.

In a way, the passage out from Snowflake Bentley to the new snowflake stories is typical of the way our vision of nature has changed over the past century: Bentley, like Audubon, believed in the one fixed image; we believe in truths revealed over time—not what animals or snowflakes are, but how they have altered to become what they are. The sign in Starbucks should read, “Friends are like snowflakes: more different and more beautiful each time you cross their paths in our common descent.” For the final truth about snowflakes is that they become more individual as they fall—that, buffeted by wind and time, they are translated, as if by magic, into ever more strange and complex patterns, until, at last, like us, they touch earth. Then, like us, they melt.

So, everybody's problems are, deep down, the same, but the details created by their life experiences means that no two are truly alike? Sounds pretty snowflakey to me.
posted by Lexica at 3:13 PM on December 28, 2010 [5 favorites]

a banana Double-silt.
posted by clavdivs at 11:38 PM on December 28, 2010

anyone else sick of everyone in askme describing their problem as a special snowflake? because, as much as we'd like to believe our problems are that unique, they really aren't.

No.
posted by juiceCake at 7:06 AM on December 29, 2010

I dunno, while they don't have a lot of posts - they certainly are A Special Snowflake
posted by Nanukthedog at 7:34 AM on December 29, 2010

Did someone say t-shirt?
posted by exogenous at 3:45 PM on December 30, 2010