What is a nerd?

Question

Is this a fair description of the word "nerd"?Nerds are members of a stigmatized social category who are stereotypically cast as intellectual overachievers and social underachievers.

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

I like the American Heritage Dictionary entry:

nerd also nurd
BOF_HEAD>EOF_HEAD>BOF_SUBHEAD> n. Slang
EOF_SUBHEAD> BOF_DEF>

A foolish, inept, or unattractive person.
A person who is single-minded or accomplished in scientific or technical pursuits but is felt to be socially inept.

EOF_DEF>BOF_DEF>
[Perhaps after Nerd, a character in If I Ran the Zoo, by Theodor Seuss Geisel.]
EOF_DEF>
BOF_DEF>
BOF_DEF>

Word History: The word nerd, undefined but illustrated, first appeared in 1950 in Dr. Seuss's If I Ran the Zoo: "And then, just to show them, I'll sail to Ka-Troo And Bring Back an It-Kutch a Preep and a Proo A Nerkle a Nerd and a Seersucker, too!" (The nerd is a small humanoid creature looking comically angry, like a thin, cross Chester A. Arthur.) Nerd next appears, with a gloss, in the February 10, 1957, issue of the Glasgow, Scotland, Sunday Mail in a regular column entitled "ABC for SQUARES": "Nerd—a square, any explanation needed?" Many of the terms defined in this "ABC" are unmistakable Americanisms, such as hep, ick, and jazzy, as is the gloss "square," the current meaning of nerd. The third appearance of nerd in print is back in the United States in 1970 in Current Slang: "Nurd [sic], someone with objectionable habits or traits.... An uninteresting person, a 'dud.'" Authorities disagree on whether the two nerds—Dr. Seuss's small creature and the teenage slang term in the Glasgow Sunday Mail—are the same word. Some experts claim there is no semantic connection and the identity of the words is fortuitous. Others maintain that Dr. Seuss is the true originator of nerd and that the word nerd ("comically unpleasant creature") was picked up by the five- and six-year-olds of 1950 and passed on to their older siblings, who by 1957, as teenagers, had restricted and specified the meaning to the most comically obnoxious creature of their own class, a "square."

EOF_DEF>

Kooyeen · Answer

Hi,
I believe this is complicated. Take a look at urbandictionary, you'll see that "nerd" and "geek" are not easy to define. It seems "nerd" has more of a negative meaning than "geek". Wikipedia also has articles on these words.

Milky · Answer

Is the true sign true?

<I think he's on to something: the true sign of nerdiness is math. People who understand math learn to value rigor, precision, and clear communication.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 3:40 PM on July 30 >

http://www.metafilter.com/63368/****-Sapiens-Metaluecus#1782512

Milky · Answer

How about this part-definition, Mr Mac?

[N]erdiness is also an absence of redneck culture, Jewish culture, Hispanic culture, Native-American culture, old-money culture and any of hundreds of other kinds of culture.

http://www.angriestricecooker.com/category/random-geekage/science/

Mister Micawber · Answer

Humorous-- as is more of that link-- but I don't think definition by omission helps much.  Nor are they necessarily hyper-white.

CalifJim · Answer

the true sign of nerdiness is math.

Either that or any other highly intellectual ability or unusual interest. But not just that. It has to be an interest that absorbs the entire being of the nerd -- so that the possibility of having enough time to develop any social skills is out of the question, which is why nerds usually express themselves quite bluntly, sometimes appearing rude to others even when they don't intend to. And ugly looking thick glasses, possibly with broken frames held together with duct tape or rubber bands. A plastic pocket protector helps the general impression. And unkempt hair. Nerds are never interested in their personal appearance. And zits. It's best to have zits if you want to be truly nerdy.

CJ

Jon Salt · Answer

A nerd has become a broad term of abuse relating to anyone who does anything that smacks of education.

"He posts on a linguistics forum for fun. What a nerd!"

BarbaraPA · Answer

KooyeenHi,
I believe this is complicated. Take a look at urbandictionary, you'll see that "nerd" and "geek" are not easy to define. It seems "nerd" has more of a negative meaning than "geek". Wikipedia also has articles on these words.

I should say so!

I missed this thread before.

Milky · Answer

<"He posts on a linguistics forum for fun. What a nerd!">

If he posts only for fun, how could that be considered as educating himself?

Jon Salt · Answer

I think educating yourself can be fun. Are education and fun mutually exclusive?

What is a nerd?

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions