"That is rich"

Ever hear that phrase? Ever read it? I may have even used it once or twice myself (or not) - but I hate it. It's a rich person's word. It's a word for upper-class folks. It's a word that only 'educated' people use.

You'll read it on websites like DailyKos and TalkingPointsMemo and FireDogLake - at least in the comments sections. On these liberal websites is where the political chattering classes decide what we should do with poor people. I imagine some skinny, snide, condescending, comes-from-a-decent-background-and-actually-had-a-chance white person who never really faced any serious adversity in life. The phrase bothers me - it's the snootiness of it.

I don't even know what it means. You could say something about 'meaning' and 'irony' - but it's not really ever about that at all - it's about announcing to the world that you were properly indoctrinated at an expensive white liberal arts college, and therefore you are better than everyone else.