Chuck Palahniuk steps it up in

In this 2007 photo, Chuck Palahniuk poses during a photo shoot at a local auto wreckage yard in Portland. The "Fight Club" author recently took credit for coining the term "snowflake" as an insult, a word that was widely used by Republican pundits and politicians to refer to protesters during the 2016 presidential campaign.

(Stephanie Yao/Staff)

One of Portland's most well-known authors says Republican commentators have been using his word to insult those who are easily offended. And Chuck Palahniuk wants his share of the credit.

Speaking to The Evening Standard, Palahniuk says that he coined the word "snowflake" as an insult in his 1996 novel, "Fight Club."

It's a piece of exposition from one of the book's main characters, Tyler Durden, that challenges the reader -- or, in the case of the 1999 film, the viewer -- that he or she isn't anything special.

'"You are not special. You are not a beautiful and unique snowflake," Durden narrates.

Palahniuk went on to tell the Standard that even in his views, those who lean left -- and students in general -- tend to be too sensitive and reactionary, thus deserving of the title.

Snowflake has been used on and off as an insult since "Fight Club" hit theaters and inspired thousands of adolescent boys that throwing down shirtless was hardcore. But it soared into its most popular usage during the 2016 presidential election.

It was particularly popular on Fox News Channel programs and a favorite slam of Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway's throughout the campaign season.

Even guys like Mike Huckabee used the term to denigrate the millions of Americans who voted for someone other than Donald Trump on Election Day.

Of course, like so many insults, those the term targets have begun to fight back. Signs about snowflakes turning into avalanches were ever-present during the Women's March on Washington and its satellite events.

And one riff on the insult even took inspiration from another popular novel.

--Eder Campuzano

503.221.4344

@edercampuzano

ecampuzano@oregonian.com