# "Snarky" has jumped the snark...er...shark

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snarky-has-jumped-the-snark-er-shark/156201>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [February 19, 2003, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snarky-has-jumped-the-snark-er-shark/156201 "2003-02-19T20:37:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snarky-has-jumped-the-snark-er-shark/156201/1 "2003-02-19T20:37:13Z")

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snarky, snarky, snarky, snarky, snarky, snarky, snarky, snarky, snarky, snarky, snarky, snarky, snarky, snarky, snarky, snarky, snarky, snarky, snarky, snarky, snarky, snarky, snarky, snarky…

It’s like fingernails on a fucking chalkboard. Stop using this non-word. It’s not funny…It’s not fun. It makes “all your base” sound hip. My grandmother thought “snarky” was played out when she was in first grade. Actually, Plato used the word “snarky” and the other Greeks laughed at him. It gets an 8.4 on the geek scale. Oh, the humanity!

For convenience, I will pre-post some standard responses. Feel free to copy & paste them:

1. Uh, huh, huh…snarky, snarky, snarky, snarky, snarky, snarky…huh huh.

2. Blowero, why does it make you so angry? I like the word snarky. Why must you spew your venemous hatred on us poor innocents? If you don’t like it, don’t read our posts. You are such an angry, hate-filled, bitter person, that I fear you are going to buy a shotgun and go berserk.

3. “Jumped the shark” has jumped the shark, too, you hypocrite.

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**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snarky-has-jumped-the-snark-er-shark/156201/2 "2003-02-19T21:00:31Z")

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You forgot waste of bandwidth.

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**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snarky-has-jumped-the-snark-er-shark/156201/3 "2003-02-19T21:19:03Z")

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Main Entry: snarky  
Pronunciation: 'snär-kE  
Function: adjective  
Etymology: dialect snark to annoy, perhaps alteration of nark to irritate  
Date: 1906  
: CROTCHETY, SNAPPISH

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**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snarky-has-jumped-the-snark-er-shark/156201/4 "2003-02-19T21:25:35Z")

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Yeah, I was fairly sure it was a word before I saw it in Half-life.

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**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snarky-has-jumped-the-snark-er-shark/156201/5 "2003-02-19T21:29:00Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by blowero \*  
> \*\*…It makes “all your base” sound hip. …

pssssssssssssssst

What is “all your base”?

\<-----slinks away feeling old and unhip

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**Author:** ![3trew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/13edae/32.png) [@3trew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3trew)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snarky-has-jumped-the-snark-er-shark/156201/6 "2003-02-19T21:31:32Z")

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Great. Just great. I finally perfect my posting style so that I’m the perfect snarky waste of bandwidth and now they’re going to change the rules on me! I suppose “asshat” is on the way out next too. All that work wasted.

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**Author:** ![THespos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@THespos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/THespos)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snarky-has-jumped-the-snark-er-shark/156201/7 "2003-02-19T21:34:31Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> It makes “all your base” sound hip.

I’m taking this as a not-so-subtle clue that maybe I should remove the “All Your Base” license plate frame from my car.

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**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snarky-has-jumped-the-snark-er-shark/156201/8 "2003-02-19T21:37:13Z")

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Lets bring back _Felch_ and _Squick_. They have been on hiatus for quite a while now.

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**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snarky-has-jumped-the-snark-er-shark/156201/9 "2003-02-19T22:00:25Z")

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How about jumping the _snark_?

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**Author:** ![Kantalooppi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a5b964/32.png) [@Kantalooppi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kantalooppi)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snarky-has-jumped-the-snark-er-shark/156201/10 "2003-02-19T22:43:40Z")

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While ‘sassy’ and ‘snarky’ annoy me, I’m still sticking with ‘smarmy’.

No-one takes my smarmy away from me… no-one…

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**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snarky-has-jumped-the-snark-er-shark/156201/11 "2003-02-19T23:12:51Z")

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Finally, my plans for "moxie’ are starting to come together.

mwahahahaha.

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**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snarky-has-jumped-the-snark-er-shark/156201/12 "2003-02-19T23:45:19Z")

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My mum always favoured the word “shirty” in similar circumstances

It annoyed the living fuck out of me. But maybe that was the idea.

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**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snarky-has-jumped-the-snark-er-shark/156201/13 "2003-02-19T23:51:02Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by CanvasShoes \*  
> \*\*pssssssssssssssst
> 
> What is “all your base”?
> 
> \<-----slinks away feeling old and unhip \*\*

there was some game, I think, from Japan (?) where the ENglish was a little, um, tortured?? one of the lines in it was “all your base belong to us”.

and unfortunately, that line for unknown reasons, struck a semi universal funny bone with internet geeks, and for a horrible period of time, you just couldn’t open any forum here w/o at least a half dozen threads about “all your base”.

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**Author:** ![White\_Lightning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@White\_Lightning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Lightning)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snarky-has-jumped-the-snark-er-shark/156201/14 "2003-02-20T00:01:29Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> _Originally posted by_\* adam yax \*\*\*  
> Lets bring back _Felch_ and _Squick_. They have been on hiatus for quite a while now.

Hmm. Let’s not and say we did.  
Speaking of tired, overused phrases.

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**Author:** ![headshok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@headshok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/headshok)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snarky-has-jumped-the-snark-er-shark/156201/15 "2003-02-20T00:39:42Z")

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I used “snarky” during a staff meeting last year and my boss thought it was hilarious. Today, I found out that I’m getting a promotion at the end of the month.

Coincidence? I don’t think so.

Tomorrow morning I’m going to send my division head an email with the words “goat-felcher” and “asshat” in it. Management, here I come!

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**Author:** ![Wikkit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snarky-has-jumped-the-snark-er-shark/156201/16 "2003-02-20T00:54:46Z")

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There was a cruise missile under development, called the Snark, which often failed and went plunging into the ocean. Thus, the joke was that they were “snark infested waters”.

That’s all history. The question upon us now: was that area of ocean also shark infested, and if so, did the Snark jump the shark?

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**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snarky-has-jumped-the-snark-er-shark/156201/17 "2003-02-20T01:03:32Z")

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[All Your Base Belong To Us](http://www.planettribes.com/allyourbase/index.shtml)  
[/hijack]

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**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snarky-has-jumped-the-snark-er-shark/156201/18 "2003-02-20T01:25:49Z")

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I would be perfectly happy to stop using “snarky” provided you supply me with another word to substitute that conveys the same meaning.

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**Author:** ![Ferrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Ferrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferrous)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snarky-has-jumped-the-snark-er-shark/156201/19 "2003-02-20T02:04:17Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by blowero \*  
> \*\*For convenience, I will pre-post some standard responses. Feel free to copy & paste them:  
> \<snip\>  
> 3. “Jumped the shark” has jumped the shark, too, you hypocrite. \*\*

Nah. Saying ““Jumped the shark” has jumped the shark” has jumped the shark.

And don’t say “Saying “Saying ““Jumped the shark” has jumped the shark” has jumped the shark.” has jumped the shark.” because infinite recursion has really jumped the shark.  
:dubious:

(No real reason for that smilie, I just haven’t used it yet.)

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**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snarky-has-jumped-the-snark-er-shark/156201/20 "2003-02-20T02:27:57Z")

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Waitaminute, when the hell did “snarky” become an internet catchphrase? I’ve been using that word all my life, in much the way I use all sorts of other words, and I never knew it was hip or trendy at all! And now it’s not, so I sound lame and dated whenever I use it! Which isn’t really a big change for me!

[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snarky-has-jumped-the-snark-er-shark/156201.md?page=2)