[JohnFen]

> they're using "elite" to signal a mentality

Given the nonsensical things I've seen declared "elite" and "nonelite", I'm certain that "elite" is just used as a synonym for "whoever I currently hate".

[woooooo]

There's that too, plus the fact that using the word "elite" is itself something that mostly the elite do.

[staunton]

In my experience that's false.