19 Alessia To snowball: to grow or become larger, greater, more intense, etc., at an accelerating rate. The term is not innately good or bad. Sometimes, ‘snowball’ can be used to describe a series of fortunate events, such as ‘the young actor’s career snowballed after his appearance in an Oscar-winning film.’ Other times, the term can imply a much more catastrophic unraveling of events. In these instances, the term might conjure the image of an avalanche, rather than the friendly snowman it might otherwise invoke. The tiny bits of snow at the top of a mountain peaceably tumble until they gather enough steam and become an unstoppable force of nature. For the innocent victim in its path, there is no escape. The only hope for survival is luck. As the ground shakes and the massive white cloud
