Question of the Day #115

"‘Too bad, little snowflakes’: MSNBC panel mocks conservatives offended by Colbert’s c*ck joke"
From the headline of this article at Raw Story.

上記の文で、snowflakeの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "snowflake" mean?

答えは、コメントに書いてください。
Write your answer in the Comments.

明日、ここに答えを書きます。
I will add the answer and other remarks here tomorrow.

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解答

意味： 英辞郎によると、


1. 雪のひとひら、雪片
2. 雪の結晶

等の訳があるが、これは当然違うので、英英辞典の定義を参照します。
Wiktionaryの4番目の定義は、

自分が雪の結晶のようにユニークで特別だと思っている人。侮辱等に敏感で、とくに自分が道徳的に正しいと信じている若い人。

また、下記語源の説明を参照してください。

Answer

According to Wiktionary:

Someone who believes they are as unique and special as a snowflake; someone hypersensitive to insult or offense, especially a young person with politically correct sensibilities.

Also refer to the etymology below.

Etymology/語源

this article at Merriam-Websterによると、

近年、snowflakeは、新しい侮辱的な言葉として、いろいろな社会問題等に敏感でナーバスな人を言うようになっている。2016年の米大統領選挙戦においては、共和党の右派が民主党の候補や支持者を侮辱する言葉として頻繁に使われた。

According to this article at Merriam-Webster:

It's developed a new and decidedly less pleasant use as a disparaging term for a person who is seen as overly sensitive and fragile. In the lead-up to the 2016 U.S. elections it was lobbed especially fiercely by those on the right side of the political spectrum at those on the left.

Examples

• "You are not special. You are not a beautiful and unique snowflake. You are the same organic and decaying matter as everyone else." 1996, Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club
• "It’s particularly effective given that there’s really no comeback to it: in calling someone a snowflake, you are not just shutting down their opinion, but telling them off for being offended that you are doing so." 2016, Rebecca Nicholson, The Guardian, 28 November
• "Marc Hokoana messaged a friend on Facebook the day before Yiannopoulos was scheduled to talk and said he 'can’t wait for tomorrow,' according to police officials. In the Facebook message, obtained by a search warrant, he wrote: 'I’m going to the Milo event and if the snowflakes get out off [sic] hand I’m just going to wade through their ranks and start cracking skulls.'"2017, 25 April, Couple charged in shooting of protester at Milo Yiannopoulos event in Seattle (in The Guardian)