As I understand it, a nerd is someone with a strong interest in some (usually technical or academic, but not necessarily) endeavour which the nerd pursues passionately, sometimes to the exclusion of being socially integrated.
A geek is a socially inept person, possibly with nonstandard interests, but stereotypically, these interests revolve more around television, role-playing games etc.
Originally posted by royalchickenNice definitions. What about "dork"? How similar is this to a geek?
As I understand it, a nerd is someone with a strong interest in some (usually technical or academic, but not necessarily) endeavour which the nerd pursues passionately, sometimes to the exclusion of being socially integrated.
A geek is a socially inept person, possibly with nonstandard interests, but stereotypically, these interests revolve more around television, role-playing games etc.
Originally posted by darvlay''Dork'' and the equivalent ''tool'' are both originally slang for ''penis'' although they've now both come to mean someone who makes ill-conceived attempts to be impressive, which usually backfire.
Nice definitions. What about "dork"? How similar is this to a geek?
Bear in mind that these are all just the way I've most often heard these words used. One often hears 'nerd' and 'geek' with the opposite definitions to the ones I gave.
Originally posted by royalchickenDork = Penis? Is that true or are you just dorking me around?
''Dork'' and the equivalent ''tool'' are both originally slang for ''penis'' although they've now both come to mean someone who makes ill-conceived attempts to be impressive, which usually backfire.
Bear in mind that these are all just the way I've most often heard these words used. One often hears 'nerd' and 'geek' with the opposite definitions to the ones I gave.
Geek
The definition of geek has changed considerably over the years. Below are some definitions of the word "geek", in order from oldest (and most archaic) to newest. All but the first are still in use.
A person who swallows live animals, bugs, etc., as a form of entertainment at fairs etc. This often included biting the heads off of chickens. The Geek would usually perform in a "geek pit." This probably comes from the Scottish geck, meaning 'fool', in turn from Low German. 19th century
A derogatory term for one with low social skills, often with high intelligence. Compare nerd. It is theorised that many of these people have Asperger's syndrome. Late 20th century
A person who is interested in technology, especially computing and new media. Comparable with the classic definition of hacker. Late 20th century and early 21st century
A person with a devotion to something in a way that places him or her outside the mainstream. This could be due to the intensity, depth, or subject of their interest.
There are many varieties of geek. The computer geek is best known, but every field of academia and many areas of culture have their geeks. There are computer geeks, politics geeks, geography geeks, geeks of the natural sciences, music geeks, history geeks, linguistics geeks, sports geeks, SCA geeks, gaming geeks, ham radio geeks, public transit geeks (metrophiles), anime and manga geeks (otaku), Star Trek geeks (trekkie), geeks of many colours, genders, and styles.
Geek has always had negative connotations within society at large, where being described as a geek tends to be an insult. The term has recently become less condescending, or even a badge of honor, within particular fields and subcultures; this is particularly evident in the technical disciplines, where the term is now more of a compliment denoting extraordinary skill.
Nerd
Nerd was adopted in the mid-1960s to describe a stereotypical intelligent recluse with poor social skills, one who is usually the butt of others' jokes. The word was first used in Dr. Seuss's book If I Ran the Zoo, published in 1950 where it is simply a name for one of Seuss's many comical imaginary animals. (The context is narrator Gerald McGrew's claim that he would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too" for his imaginary zoo.) Another theory of the word's origin is that it is a version of Mortimer Snerd, the name of Edgar Bergen's ventriloquist dummy. Yet another theory is that it comes from Northern Electric Research and Developments where the employees wore pocket protectors with the acronym N.E.R.D. printed on them. And yet another theory is that it comes from the word "drunk" reversed to "knurd", to illustrate someone who did not drink at parties.
The stereotypical nerd image as seen in the mass media and cartoons is a young man wearing thick black glasses (preferably broken and taped up with electrical tape), pocket protectors and dress shirts or clothes that are in general too formal for the circumstances in which they are worn. Sometimes, he is lacking in personal hygeine skills, and he will typically be either very skinny or extremely fat. Stereotypical nerds are usually socially awkward and incapable of social interaction, except on technical topics.
Originally posted by SirLoseALotanime and manga geeks (otaku),
What's the difference between a nerd and a geek?
it's the jappanise word for geek, but it has entered the english language with slightly skewed meaning. it usualy refers to those geeks and nerds who enjoy Anime and jappanise anything. i use the following defenition:
Otaku: n, anyone who would use the word "otaku" to describe themselves.
p.s: this is the first time i have ever used the edit function.🙂
Originally posted by eyeqpcDon't forget "always playing chess" as one of those stereotypes 🙂
The stereotypical nerd image as seen in the mass media and cartoons is a young man wearing thick black glasses (preferably broken and taped up with electrical tape), pocket protectors and dress shirts or clothes that are in general too forma ...[text shortened]... d and incapable of social interaction, except on technical topics.
I have had this discussion many times in the past, oddly enough. MANY times. My nickname in high school was Geek because one day I walked around all day with the word GEEK written in big letters on my forehead just for fun, lol. Anyways though, the true social difference between a geek and a nerd is that a geek is a person who has a direct interest in a large industry of entertainment, such as Film Geek (my ID at www.pokerstars.com, if any of you play there and would like to play some poker agianst me) or a TV Geek, etc. A nerd is a person who has an interest in a smaller part of an entertainment industry, such as someone who is addicted to Star Trek or Lord of The Rings. A dork is much different. A dork is simply anyone who acts completely off-the-wall and is simply not understood by others around them. Where the real argument comes is relationships between these mixes. I've always believed that a geek can go out with a dork, and a geek can go out with a nerd, but that a nerd could not go out with a dork, for they usually have very different character traits that just would not make for a good relationship.
Hope this helped.
-Kev