Sunday, December 21, 2008

Geek vs. Nerd

Although the connotation might not seem to different among by those not called by these terms, here is the reason I no longer prefer geek to nerd:

(from Wikipedia)

The word geek is a slang term, noting individuals as "a peculiar or otherwise odd person, especially one who is perceived to be overly obsessed with one or more things including those of intellectuality, electronics, gaming, etc."[1] Formerly, the term referred to a carnival performer often billed as a wild man whose act usually includes biting the head off a live chicken, bat, snake or bugs.

3 comments:

Okie said...

LOL. That's great.

Although the nerd definition isn't that much better (except for the carney reference):

[wikipedia]
Nerd is a term often bearing a derogatory connotation or stereotype, that refers to a person who passionately pursues intellectual activities, esoteric knowledge, or other obscure interests that are age inappropriate rather than engaging in more social or popular activities. Therefore, a nerd is often excluded from physical activity and considered a loner by peers, or will tend to associate with like-minded people.

Lisa Moore said...

Just yesterday I heard nerd defined as "a person who is too smart to be good looking." I'm actually thinking the geek definition is slightly more flattering, but since I refer to your office as "the nerdery" from time to time, that sort of implies that you are a nerd. But don't worry! You may be smart, but you're still good looking!

Sara said...

I guess I was mistaken. I could have sworn you were overly obsessed with intellectual things like electronics and biting the heads off of bugs.