Old-fashioned snobbery is out. Microsnobberies are in.

loaded adjectives: Describing a 'snob radar' as 'finely calibrated as a bat’s sonar' uses metaphor to exaggerate and mock the sensitivity to class cues.

“whose snob radar is as finely calibrated as a bat’s sonar”

loaded language: The phrase “good taste” in scare quotes implies irony and judgment, suggesting the speaker views such taste as pretentious rather than genuine.

““good taste.””

loaded language: Describing a presidential event as an 'Ultimate Fighting Championship spectacle' frames it as vulgar and inappropriate, injecting political judgment.

“a president staging an Ultimate Fighting Championship spectacle as though it were a civic ceremony”

editorializing: The phrase 'counterintuitively' presumes a conclusion about snobbery that the reader is expected to accept without argument.

“there also seems to be, counterintuitively, an extraordinary amount of snobbery around”

sympathy appeal: Describing the character who defies 'snobby rules' as 'the hero' frames rebellion against traditional snobbery as morally superior, encouraging reader alignment.

“the character who defied the snobby rules was often the hero”

loaded language: Phrasing like 'if your olive oil has a story' mocks current consumer trends, implying pretension rather than genuine value.

“if your olive oil has a story”

glittering generalities: Using abstract terms like 'human instinct' without evidence frames the desire for exclusion as inevitable and universal.

“because that human instinct is never going away”

editorializing: The phrase 'I’ve noticed' presents personal observation as authoritative insight without evidence.

“I’ve noticed”

loaded language: Describing organic farms as sitting next to 'chemically maintained golf courses' frames organic consumers as hypocritical, using loaded environmental judgment.

“the organic farm sits next to a chemically maintained golf course”

outrage appeal: The pattern of contrasting judgments is structured to provoke amusement at hypocrisy, encouraging moral superiority in the reader.

“The supermarket bread buyer quietly notes that the organic farm sits next to a chemically maintained golf course”

loaded language: Using 'disses' and 'slick content creators' carries a dismissive, judgmental tone toward both sides, but especially the latter.

“disses the slick content creators”

loaded language: Phrases like 'irrational scorn' and 'titter' mock people who claim interest in history, implying superficiality.

“I titter when someone announces, usually without being asked, that they are “interested in history.””

outrage appeal: The act of 'tittering' at others' declarations invites reader complicity in mocking cultural pretension.

“I titter when someone announces, usually without being asked”

loaded language: Describing common phrases as 'allergic to' and 'wellness jargon' frames them as irritating and shallow.

“I’ve grown allergic to the overuse of internet clichés, corporate speak and wellness jargon”

loaded language: Listing 'loving your parents' as something 'common' mocks basic human affection as a sign of low status, using irony to belittle.

“loving your parents”

glittering generalities: Calling the tea towels 'so funny' frames elitist mockery as universally acceptable humor.

“which is why the interior designer Nicky Haslam’s tea towels listing “Things Nicky Haslam Finds Common” remain so funny”

loaded labels: The term 'shwillionaires' is a derogatory blend of 'shiny' and 'millionaires,' used to mock nouveau riche clients.

“various shwillionaires”

moral framing: Framing aesthetic disagreements as 'evidence of bad character' moralizes taste, turning personal preference into ethical judgment.

“Every disagreement becomes evidence of bad character”

editorializing: The phrase 'absolutely convinced it alone possesses discernment' caricatures opposing groups as self-righteous without nuance.

“each absolutely convinced it alone possesses discernment, authenticity or virtue”