There's lots of over lap. A nerd seems to signify some with a very specialized nerdom (e.g. comic book nerd, star trek nerd, political nerd, baseball nerd), a geek is like a nerd utility man...not one with a specialization but can play many position on the nerd field well.
With my baseball comparison, I've outed myself as a baseball nerd.
this is hard. I view these as distinct categories but it is hard to say why.
I think that being a geek is slightly more extreme than being a nerd. Being a nerd is kinda cool now, whereas I think geeks are still not quite as mainstream.
also, "nerd" is just a much more common term...
fun fact did you know that the first document use of the word "nerd" was in Dr. Seuss's "If I Ran the Zoo?"
Didn't geek originally mean a circus freak who bites the heads off chickens?
The term nerd usually seems to come with a modifier before it... you can be a movie nerd, a sports nerd, an art nerd (tho I prefer the term art dork!). Don't know if geek is quite that versital.
Nerd entails some amount of intelligence, especially in a certain subject matter. When I think of a Geek, I think of a weirdo who may or may not be smart: i.e. Dwight from the Office.
Here's an example: A nerd knows the parabolic trajectory needed to successfully flip a cup in flip cup. A geek will tell you what the parabolic trajectory is and how he/she calculated it.
i find this discussion fascinating, which i think makes me a nerd. i have often been called a nerd, but never a geek. and i have been called a nerd both with modifier (stats nerd) and without. to me, geek conjures more of a visual image, i.e. glasses, lack of any noticeable muscle tone, pallor, bad hair, says bizarre and creepy things. I think Dwight is a perfect example.
I agree with others who say that nerd implies some real intelligence or knowledge while geek is more general personality and limited social functionality. but maybe that's because i don't want to say anything too bad about nerds since i am one.
Nerd has a connotation of endearment, geek has a connotation of disdain. So I guess a nerd is a bookish awkward person you love, and a geek is a bookish awkward person you loathe.
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See the classic SNL skit "Geek, Dweeb, or Spaz"
There's lots of over lap. A nerd seems to signify some with a very specialized nerdom (e.g. comic book nerd, star trek nerd, political nerd, baseball nerd), a geek is like a nerd utility man...not one with a specialization but can play many position on the nerd field well.
With my baseball comparison, I've outed myself as a baseball nerd.
i think that a nerd is inherently intelligent... while a geek can just be knowledgable about one subject.. like a trekkie, is a geek/
this is hard. I view these as distinct categories but it is hard to say why.
I think that being a geek is slightly more extreme than being a nerd. Being a nerd is kinda cool now, whereas I think geeks are still not quite as mainstream.
also, "nerd" is just a much more common term...
fun fact did you know that the first document use of the word "nerd" was in Dr. Seuss's "If I Ran the Zoo?"
(does that make me a geek or a nerd?)
Didn't geek originally mean a circus freak who bites the heads off chickens?
The term nerd usually seems to come with a modifier before it... you can be a movie nerd, a sports nerd, an art nerd (tho I prefer the term art dork!). Don't know if geek is quite that versital.
a geek is someone who is way too into a hobby or movie or book or sport or area of interest, etc. one "geeks out" over their obsession.
a nerd is someone who may or may not be socially awkward, but usually is socially awkward. they appreciate dry, intellectual stuff.
Nerd entails some amount of intelligence, especially in a certain subject matter. When I think of a Geek, I think of a weirdo who may or may not be smart: i.e. Dwight from the Office.
Here's an example: A nerd knows the parabolic trajectory needed to successfully flip a cup in flip cup. A geek will tell you what the parabolic trajectory is and how he/she calculated it.
Mayor Bloomberg is a geek.
i find this discussion fascinating, which i think makes me a nerd. i have often been called a nerd, but never a geek. and i have been called a nerd both with modifier (stats nerd) and without. to me, geek conjures more of a visual image, i.e. glasses, lack of any noticeable muscle tone, pallor, bad hair, says bizarre and creepy things. I think Dwight is a perfect example.
I agree with others who say that nerd implies some real intelligence or knowledge while geek is more general personality and limited social functionality. but maybe that's because i don't want to say anything too bad about nerds since i am one.
Nerd has a connotation of endearment, geek has a connotation of disdain. So I guess a nerd is a bookish awkward person you love, and a geek is a bookish awkward person you loathe.
I think the fact that we all like this discussion makes us nuance nerds!
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