Eggcorn Forum

A reaction that is subtlety derogatory can be described with the adjective “snide.” We make snide comments, give snide replies, pull snide tricks. For examples of snide remarks, see all my previous references on this forum to Atomic Kitten.

Another indirect way to put a person down is to snipe at them. “Snipe” probably derives from the practice of shooting at an object from cover. Snipers, it seems, can kill with bullets or words.

Sometimes “snipe” is used in idiomatic contexts for which “snide” would be a more appropriate choice. The citations below are culled from several dozen web sites that confuse “snipe” and “snide” in such contexts.

Comment on a writing forum by an author of several books: “Please don’t lower your good reputation by snipe remarks / name calling and posting remarks about things that you don’t know. Please don’t conclude. Ask me. ” [I trust this writer has a good copyeditor]

Forum post: “In the first example, the principal person involved …went on the record as saying I had nothing to do with this, yet Roger and TCP continued to make snipe remarks – ‘old boys network’ type of style – about me. ”

Post on a family relationships forum: “My Mum used to drive me mad when I had my first son …. I would go round and bite my tongue at the snipe remarks….”