# TV Show Gidget And The Use Of The Word Nerdy

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-gidget-and-the-use-of-the-word-nerdy/572730
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [February 26, 2011, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-gidget-and-the-use-of-the-word-nerdy/572730 "2011-02-26T19:12:28Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2011, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-gidget-and-the-use-of-the-word-nerdy/572730/1 "2011-02-26T19:12:28Z")

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I was watching an episode of the TV show _Gidget_ and I was surprised to hear the character Gidget use the word “nerdy.” She says that the column Helpful Hannah is giving “nerdy” advice.

This is the first time I’ve heard of the use of the word “nerd” or “nerdy” prior to _Happy Days_

Here is a link to the portion of the [Gidget Episode](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001M0KCHI/ref=atv_feed_catalog&tag=imdb-amazonvideo-20) (From Amazon)

Can someone else listen and cofrim I did hear this correctly?

Thanks

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### Author: ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2011, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-gidget-and-the-use-of-the-word-nerdy/572730/2 "2011-02-26T21:09:57Z")

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“Nerd” has been around a lot longer than that, the wiki article on it says it use was reported in Newsweek in 1951.