> tries to act superior, but is not

That's really interesting, Helen - it's a distinction that wouldn't have occurred to me. hm, I can see the idea, but still not sure... I've had some fearful (sic) snobs talk down to me over the years, and some of them I would have no idea of their actual abilities. hmmmm. OTOH, it's true there is an implicit pretence in the actions of a typical snob because their intention is to convince others of their social standing, often despite evidence to the contrary. I need to think about that more; be interested to hear others' take on this.