Question

[fiat_knox]

It must be an American intarwebs thing, but WTF does "Oh, snap!" mean? It just makes whoever says it sound dreadfully effete, like a Blood Doll donor to some excruciatingly camp OTT Daeva.

I won't use the phrase till I get its etymology: and even then, once I'm aware of whence it comes, I'm sure I'll dig up some worthy alternatives.

Besides, by the time I start using it the phrase will have already descended to the level of cliche, like one of Bruce Forsyth's worn-out old catchphrases.

Comments

[johncoxon.livejournal.com]

The card game is fairly widespread in Britain...

Ah.

[fiat-knox.livejournal.com]

So it's just the old Victorian card game, and nothing from some American comedy I've been missing due to the writers' strike.

I've been digging for meaning where there is none. No wonder I've kept hitting vacuum.

Cheers. :)

[kleenexwoman.livejournal.com]

It's a black culture thing. White people just sound silly saying it and they can't do the gestures required.

[sandchigger.livejournal.com]

It's been used a synonym for "BURN!" as in a (sometimes third-party) response to seeing someone get served. I couldn't begin to fathom the etymology, though I think the first time I saw it was in the movie Zoolander.

I may well be wrong.

Okay

[fiat-knox.livejournal.com]

I've a feeling that, as a saying, it's pretty much colour blind. I suspect black people sound silly saying it too, hand gestures or not.

Ah

[fiat-knox.livejournal.com]

So it is an incomprehensible pop cliche held up by a minority of the ubergormless as a smokescreen for the fact that they are lacking in cultural knowledge and have to resort to poaching lines from movies.

And I was worried about being snobbish in my old age.

Re: Okay

[kleenexwoman.livejournal.com]

Watch some Jerry Springer sometime. You will see the principle demonstrated in full.

Re: Ah

[sandchigger.livejournal.com]

Pretty much, yeah.

[lyny-wolf.livejournal.com]

Yeah...it generally sounds stupid coming from anyone's mouth. But I've heard it used in situations where the speaker has just watched someone, oh say, take a nose dive into the concrete while attempting a stunt on a bike or skateboard. Or the speaker has just beaten someone in a game of cards or something. I think it's generally used after you have 'dissed' somebody.

As to where it comes from, I haven't a clue.