Snowflakes and taking offence - 6 Minute English

Neil: Hello. Welcome to 6 Minute English, I'm Neil.

I'm Neil.

Rob: And I'm Rob.

Neil: Rob, would you say that were a

snowflake?

Rob: Wow, I can't believe you said that,

that's so offensive. How could you be so rude?

Neil: So I guess that's a yes then? Sorry, I

only asked.

Rob: Don't worry, I wasn't really upset, I

just wanted to demonstrate the meaning

of the word. The word 'snowflake' has

taken on a new meaning in recent years.

These days it's used as an insult. It's used

to criticise people or groups

that are seen to be very easily offended or

upset by things that others say.

Neil: There is usually a political side to it

too, isn't there?

Rob: Yes, people who use the word

'snowflake' tend to be from the political

right and they usually use it about those

on the political left, particularly

millennials - young, socially aware adults.

Neil: Well we'll explore this topic in more

detail shortly, but first a quiz question. In

which year was 'snowflake' one of Collins

Dictionary's words of the year? Was it

a) 1996, b) 2006, or c) 2016.

Rob: Well, we said it's quite a recent word

so I'm going for c) 2016.

Neil: Well, we'll find out if you're right later

on in the programme. The topic of

offence is a very complicated one. First

what do we mean by 'offence' Rob?

Rob: Thanks for that. That is a really

difficult question. Something that is

offensive is rude, insulting and makes

people feel hurt and upset.

What's difficult about it though is that we

don't all find the same things offensive.

Some people can be deliberately

offensive and some people may be

offensive without meaning to be.

Neil: Also, different people respond to

offence in different ways - some accept it

as the price of free speech and some try

to stop the people they think are offensive

from saying the things they do.

Rob: These terms come up quite a lot in

discussions about equality, race, religion

and of course, politics.

Neil: The topic was discussed in detail in

the BBC Radio programme Sweet Reason.

Evan Davis presented the programme and

here is the first part of his summary of the

discussion. What does he say is the

reason some people talk about offence?

Evan Davis: First, on occasion, people

probably do invoke offence when really

they just have a political disagreement

and on occasion groups that suffer

discrimination or exclusion perhaps find it

exhilarating or uniting to call out that

discrimination.

Neil: He says that some people take

offence when it's just a political

disagreement. He says they 'invoke' offence.

Rob: If you 'invoke' something it means

that you use it to support your point or

explain your action. So to 'invoke offence'

is to say that we are acting this way

because we are offended by what you

have said, although the offence

may only be a political difference rather

than something truly offensive.

Neil: Davis goes on to say that groups

that do suffer from discrimination may

get some feelings of unity when they

'call out' discrimination.

They feel more together when they

publicise and highlight the discrimination

they have experienced. Even though some

offence that is taken may not be genuine,

that doesn't mean people don't have a

right to be offended. Here's Evan Davis again.

Evan Davis: Where the so-called

snowflakes surely have a point is this,

societies are entitled to make certain

things taboo and the millennials

use of the word offensive is simply

designed to say some views are not just

wrong they are in a special category of

wrong.

Rob: His point here is that societies can

decide that certain things are taboo. In

this context something that is 'taboo' is

something that is regarded by society as

being shocking and offensive and that it

is OK for people to be offended by these

things.

Neil: And I think the point he makes is a

good one.

The word 'snowflake' is usually used as an

insult - but some people may feel proud to

be a snowflake because it means they are

standing up for a particular standard, they

have a level of decency and social

responsibility that is higher than that of

those who are calling them snowflakes.

Rob: Well I hope we haven't caused any

offence today. Before we review the

vocabulary, can we have the answer to

today's question Neil?

Neil: Of course, I asked in which year was

'snowflake' one of Collins Dictionary's

words of the year? Was it…

a) 1996, b) 2006 or, c) 2016

Rob: And I said c) 2016. It's got to be right!

Neil: Well, do you want to hear the story?

Interestingly the term was coined in 1996

in the book Fight Club, but it was in 2016

that it was one of the dictionary's words

of the year. Now let's review our words of

the day. First there is 'offence'.

Rob: People can 'take offence' and be

'offended' by something that is 'offensive'.

Something that is 'offensive' could be rude,

insulting and shocking. It might take the

form of humiliation or discrimination

against a person or group.

Neil: The term 'snowflake' is a word used

by some people to talk about other

people who they think get offended too

easily and unnecessarily.

They don't want to change their language

or ideas just because snowflakes get

upset. Then we had the word 'invoke'. If

you 'invoke' something you use it as a

reason to explain your actions

and feelings

Rob: To 'call something out' is to challenge

it, to highlight it and look for justification.

Neil: And finally we have 'taboo' -

something that society says is offensive

and shocking. So there we have it. What

do you think Rob of this topic?

Rob: Well it is a very difficult subject,

particularly when it comes to politics,

religion and society. Free speech is good

but at times, particularly on social media,

I think can be unnecessarily

unpleasant.

Neil: Well, try not to be offended but it is

time for us to leave you for this programme.

Do join us next time. Remember you can

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And of course, we have a new app which

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it's brilliant isn't it Rob?

Rob: Absolutely!

Neil: See you soon, bye.

Rob: Bye!