# "Snert" - almost, not quite **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [January 1, 2007, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snert-almost-not-quite/386349 "2007-01-01T21:45:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![poshmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/35a633/32.png) [@poshmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/poshmonkey)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2007, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snert-almost-not-quite/386349/1 "2007-01-01T21:45:37Z")
Having been somewhat of a no-life AOL/Internet In General geek (yes, admittedly) I ran across this Straight Dope article - ["What is a “snert”?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/msnert.html) Describing the term as an insult is vaguely correct, usually though people are dubbed “snerts” when they are caught lying about their life OFF the internet. For example, bragging about your significant other’s 6 digit income and your beautiful 3 story house, then making the tragic mistake of emailing or posting pictures of your not-so-lovely 1 bedroom apartment with a view of the back alley behind Winn Dixie and captioning them “Our Christmas Portrait with Princess and Duke” (being your two three legged “champion bloodline” mutts) Another example are people (generally either teens or posing as teens) posting same elaborate stories of their overly wonderful lives and then sending out pictures of OTHER people’s children as their own. 9 times out of 10 though a “snert” becomes a huge insult when the accused has been a real snot head - but not simply BECAUSE of their having acted like one! In times like those, the accused “snert” will rarely admit to lying and continues to fling insults -as well as false stories and stolen/fabricated/completely disproving pictures _if they don’t refuse flat out to send more_ to back up their claims. Or - in a completely opposite situation, they’re caught red handed and continue to play dumb. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2007, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snert-almost-not-quite/386349/2 "2007-01-01T22:35:10Z")
[Fixed link.](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/msnert.html) ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2007, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snert-almost-not-quite/386349/3 "2007-01-02T00:57:48Z")
Our local restaurant used to serve [snert](http://www.jannekes.eu/frisian/frisian-peasoup.html). It was quite tasty, and I have on occasion made it at home. It’s also known as ertwensoep (earthpimple soup, aka pea soup). ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2007, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snert-almost-not-quite/386349/4 "2007-01-02T01:20:41Z")
Welcome to the Dope **poshmonkey** , it is good to have another geek at the dope. There are so few of us. 😉 Jim ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snert-almost-not-quite/386349/5 "2007-02-10T23:41:36Z")
Quite a few years ago I was hanging out in a chatroom when a young lady in the group posted several pictures of “herself”. A little research revealed that these were actually screen captures of Jessica Alba when she was in the then-new _Flipper_ TV show. At the time Ms. Alba wasn’t yet a household name, so if you hadn’t watched _Flipper_ you likely wouldn’t immediately recognize her. Similarly, about a year ago I was contacted by a young woman who had read some of my erotic fiction. She wanted me to write her into one of my stories, and included a link to an online photo gallery of photos of herself so that I would know how to describe her. Well, the photos turned out to be pictures of a fairly well-known young Internet cheesecake model (or “non-nude model” as they’re called), with the Web site URL cropped off. _sigh_ Would these two individuals qualify as “snerts”? ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2007, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snert-almost-not-quite/386349/6 "2007-02-11T14:40:48Z")
That Staff Report was written ten, maybe twelve, thousand years ago when the word had a more limited usage. It’s now passed into more general and more generic use, so probably an update is in order… or, at least, we should put a date on that Report. Thanks for the comments. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2007, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snert-almost-not-quite/386349/7 "2007-02-12T03:45:53Z")
So how does [Hagar the Horrible’s Dog](http://www.cyberartes.com.br/edicoes/73/artista04.jpg) fit into all of this? ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2007, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snert-almost-not-quite/386349/8 "2007-02-17T19:22:30Z")
[QUOTE=poshmonkey] Having been somewhat of a no-life AOL/Internet In General geek (yes, admittedly) I ran across this Straight Dope article - ["What is a “snert”?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/msnert.html) Describing the term as an insult is vaguely correct, usually though people are dubbed “snerts” when they are caught lying about their life OFF the internet. Another example are people (generally either teens or posing as teens) posting same elaborate stories of their overly wonderful lives and then sending out pictures of OTHER people’s children as their own. 9 times out of 10 though a “snert” becomes a huge insult when the accused has been a real snot head - but not simply BECAUSE of their having acted like one! In times like those, the accused “snert” will rarely admit to lying and continues to fling insults -as well as false stories and stolen/fabricated/completely disproving pictures _if they don’t refuse flat out to send more_ to back up their claims. Or - in a completely opposite situation, they’re caught red handed and continue to play dumb. [/QUOTE] I would imagine that most M.B.s have one or two snerts amongst their regular posters and would be very surprised if S.D.M.B. was an exception to the rule . Not sure if Im breaking the rules but I think Ive sussed out two myself,apologies if Iam in violation. Personally I dont see the point of doing it myself as we re all pretty much anonymus in real terms though maybe some people think it will give added weight to their opinions and there are Walter Mittys all over the world. In the U.K. there are a good many people who lie about having been in ,or are still actually in British Special Forces thinking that the traditional secrecy that surrounds the S.Fs in this country will stop them being found out . It doesnt. Ive met many myself so I understand and even applaud those who are sceptical about any claims of that sort . I myself claim to be ex special Forces (have I no shame? LOL!) That said it never ceases to amaze me the number of seemingly ordinary people doing mundane jobs I have worked alongside who have had interesting pasts. At present I have one colleague who has made legal history in European law(Hes not a lawyer) An ex squaddie not long back from Afghanistan, An ex member of The British Antarctic Survey , a couple of blokes who have “independantly travelled”(Backpacked)to exotic parts of the world and at least three "Salty Sea Dogs " who have seen colonies become independant ,hurricanes,revolts and god knows what else. Mind you I suppose Icould be making these characters up to make my post seem a little bit more interesting ! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2010, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snert-almost-not-quite/386349/9 "2010-02-14T23:57:17Z")
Interestingly, snert is a Dutch word. It means pea soup, a traditional winter dish (as Qadgop the Mercotan pointed out). It later came to be used as a negative adjective (if you’ve ever seen pea soup you’ll understand why). So you could call your teacher “snert meester”, or a broken bicycle a “snert fiets”. Just a small step its current use…