As I said, I don’t have a dog in this fight. But you’ve asked for clarification on something, and received it. Just because you didn’t get an answer you liked is no reason to use your obviously superior snark skills and obviously inferior language comprehension problems to belabor your point.
You’re a real piece of work, you know that?
Depends on the context, but probably not. But as I said, I don’t think “you’re a real piece of work” is perfectly synonymous with “your being difficult.” To me, “you’re a real piece of work” has much stronger undertones - ones that put it right up against the line of what’s acceptable. On it’s own, in a thread that is otherwise running alright, I probably wouldn’t moderate it. Coming on the heels of an attempt by multiple moderators to steer the thread away from personal insults and back onto a more constructive course, I think it’s put over the line entirely.
I’m curious, because you seem to think “it’s snark” is a sort of get-out-of-jail-free card, how do you define snark? How do you differentiate between being snarky, and being insulting? You’re claiming it’s a bright-line difference, but snark has always seemed to me to be very much about getting as close to the line between acceptable and unacceptable as possible, which makes it very easy for someone to accidentally put his toe over the line. It’s very contextual, and very much driven by personal interpretation. I can certainly understand someone interpreting Agent Foxtrot’s post as still being on the “safe” side of the line, but I can’t really wrap my head around your claim that this is obviously an acceptable post, and that moderating it represents some huge goal-post shift. Under the best of circumstances, a post like that is pretty marginal, and that thread was not the best of circumstances by any means.
There are several unanswered questions that I’ve posed, and most of my posts in this thread have been clarification at the request of moderators.
I don’t think any of the questions I’ve asked are really all that difficult to answer, so I’d classify myself as more of a peach than anything else.
What questions have you asked that you feel have not been answered?
Well, I certainly disagree. But if that’s the direction you guys want to circle the wagons, I guess all I can ask is that the mods try to be a little more explicit. “Tone it down” in this case could probably be better served as “Anything other than positive comments will result in decapitation” - or something along those lines.
That’s fair. In normal circumstances, there’s a bit of jocularity with snark. Ultimately, the use of snark is telling the other person to get over it. It’s taking the piss. Yes - it’s intended to take the wind out of someone’s sails, and that’s negative. But it’s not offensive. Taking offense at snark isn’t the fault of the person dishing the snark, in my opinion.
In general, yes you’re right. I should have made myself clear that I see this “piece of work” deal as on the bright side of that line. Snark in general is a bit (or a lot) closer - but it’s still not crossing it. And in a sentence, I think your definition is probably more accurate.
In that context, I can maybe see “piece of work” being marginal - but you honestly see it being questionable under the best of circumstances? No - I could call my mother’s elderly neighbor a piece of work and no one would bat an eye. Scout Finch could call Mrs. Dubose a piece of work, and Atticus wouldn’t do more than raise an eyebrow.
At this point, none - I think you covered everything in the above.
I don’t disagree with any of that as a definition, but I think it’s not always so easy to determine if a specific post meets that definition or not. And a big part of that is contextual. Ideally, everyone should be able to let snark roll off their back. But some people can’t do that, and when someone has demonstrated an inability to take those sort of things in stride, what would otherwise be acceptable snark turns into poking at someone to get a reaction. That’s the sense I got from Agent Foxtrot’s post. Silver Tyger Girl had eaerlier demonstrated an inability to shrug that sort of thing off. The mods tried to salvage the thread by getting people to back off on that sort of comment, and then Agent Foxtrot showed up and made another post of the sort that had previously proven to set off STG.
In effect, if you know going in that someone is not going to take your snark as snark, then it stops being snark. Does that make any sense? I’m afraid I’m starting to talk in circles.
If that’s the entire content of the post, and you’re in MPSIMS or IMHO? Yeah. It’s not an especially profane or foul-mouthed insult, but it is pure insult. And it’s not really a clever one, which can often get you cut some slack - it’s a stock phrase, a cliche. It doesn’t really communicate anything accept dislike and disapproval, which isn’t really appropriate outside of the Pit or (maybe) GD. I mean, yeah, your mom might not mind you saying that about your elderly neighbor - but how would your elderly neighbor feel about it?
Glad I could help.
I stand by what I said. Picking the less negative definitions to dispute while ignoring the more negative suggests that you are not interested in discussing this seriously. There is no question that “piece of work” is very frequently intended as an insult, and often a serious one. I’ve often heard it used that way, and I’ve used it that way myself. Your contention that it can’t possibly be used in the sense of “asshole” just reflects a lack of familiarity with how it is often used.
As far as I’m concerned, once someone plays the “circling the wagons” card when more that one moderator says the same thing in a discussion of the rules has lost credibility as far as being interested in a serious discussion. I’m out of here.
Hilarious. I’ve said a few times in this thread that I can see “piece of work” possibly meaning “asshole” - just that it’s not as common as you’re trying to make it out. Your contention that I’ve maintained a strict non-asshole policy just reflects a lack of familiarity with this thread.
You will not be forgotten.
The first person who drops the “Circling the wagons” argument automatically loses. It should be a corollary to Gaudere’s Law.
That’s the way I regard it.
For grins, I asked a buddy what he thought “You’re a real piece of work means”, and he said “asshole”. Then he elaborated that it means you’re not just an asshole, but that you really work hard at being an asshole. You apply extra effort to accomplish the assholitude.
FWIW, YMMV.
Well, I’ve always used it to mean “You sure do have a strange way of doing things, ya know?” although Colibri’s definitions I suppose come close to that. Neither one of which is anything like “You’re an asshole.”
Oh, it takes a lot less than that for you (as a mod) to get outta here.
I’ve always taken it as as more polite way of calling someone a jerk or asshole. Just like I can call my hubby a jerk in a teasing way, this phrase can be used that way too. But at it’s root, it’s an insult.
It is a mild insult, but an insult nonetheless. It’s not the same as “You’re an asshole,” but it is at least as offensive as “What is your major malfunction, Private Pyle?” Definitely goes well beyond “I disagree with your assessment.”
Precedence… sorta. 
You know what they say.What’s good for the goose is good for the gaga.