# What does the word "nerd" mean to you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 23, 2005, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-nerd-mean-to-you/318298 "2005-08-23T18:09:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-nerd-mean-to-you/318298/21 "2005-08-23T21:03:41Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > [Urbandictionary.com](http://Urbandictionary.com)’s definitions seem to mostly agree that nerds are pretty smart. I’ve never encountered the word “nerd” in reference to somebody who was not of above-average intelligence. > > The web defintions seem to also say that geeks are second-rate nerds. Apparently, nerd is higher up in the hierarchy. Damn. I never knew that. Does that make me a nerd, a geek, or a dork? 😕 But all of them lack social skills? It cannot be good to be one. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-nerd-mean-to-you/318298/22 "2005-08-23T21:26:15Z")
[Losers: A Spotter’s Guide](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=124209) I always regretted that that thread got locked. If I’d checked back in on it sooner, I think I could have done enough damage control to save it. For the record, I fit about 90% of the categories listed. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-nerd-mean-to-you/318298/23 "2005-08-23T21:28:57Z")
All the people I know who proudly call themselves nerds would not fit the definitions put forth in this thread. That includes me, and I consider myself a really big language nerd. However, it’s always the nerdiest nerd nerd nerds who deny being nerds. Like my former roommate, the engineering graduate student, who worked as a computer programmer in a robot factory, played video games into the wee hours, and never went anywhere socially, ever. He neither played nor watched any sports, and his skin was the absolute white of a bottom-dwelling fish’s underbelly. But he vehemently denied being any kind of nerd. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-nerd-mean-to-you/318298/24 "2005-08-23T21:36:49Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > But all of them lack social skills? It cannot be good to be one. Nah. Social skills are overrated. If you’re REALLY a nerd you don’t miss 'em. I’m a geek who’s learned how to pass in normal society. I can be polite and make small talk if I have to, but social interaction always feels like work to me. It’s like putting on a space suit and going out and working in hard vacuum – it’s doable, but it’s a lot of effort and afterwards I feel wiped out. I could quite happily spend most of my days alone in a room somewhere watching anime and writing code. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-nerd-mean-to-you/318298/25 "2005-08-23T21:56:43Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > Damn. I never knew that. Does that make me a nerd, a geek, or a dork? 😕 > > But all of them lack social skills? It cannot be good to be one. I don’t believe the Lack of Social skills is required for a Geek. While I wouldn’t expect the Geek to go to Fashionable parties in Soho they will go hang out with friends for BBQ, superbowl parties, Poker games. Can handle most conversations at work. Etc. ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-nerd-mean-to-you/318298/26 "2005-08-24T01:00:44Z")
> [@Pochacco](#): > > I’m a geek who’s learned how to pass in normal society. I can be polite and make small talk if I have to, but social interaction always feels like work to me. It’s like putting on a space suit and going out and working in hard vacuum – it’s doable, but it’s a lot of effort and afterwards I feel wiped out. I could quite happily spend most of my days alone in a room somewhere watching anime and writing code. Wow, you’ve just described me! But I only scored 54.3% on the nerd test. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-nerd-mean-to-you/318298/27 "2005-08-24T02:26:43Z")
> [@](#): > > Wonk: anybody obsessed with (and good at) particular intellectual topics. > > Geek: A wonk whose obsession concerns science/tech. > > Nerd: A wonk with bad social skills. This is pretty close to my take on it, except that a “geek” can be anyone with a great aptitude for any even remotely intellectual topic. So you could have a political geek, sports stat geek, or sci/fi geek. If they excell at one particular topic they’ve earned their geek badge. OTOH, a “nerd” to me is not only obsessed with a particular topic, they also have no social skills _regarding that topic_. For instance, since I can never stop myself making music and Simpsons references, even though I know people might not get or appreciate them, I am a music and Simpsons _nerd_. And even though I know _more_ about computers than I do about the other two topics, I’m more of a geek there since I have knowledge of them and only talk about it with other interested parties. But the point, in my mind, is that actual knowledge is nice but not a requirement to be a nerd. A dork is pretty close to a nerd: a nerd without knowledge, and obsession is optional. So you can’t be a geek or a wonk AND a dork at the same time! But all of them can also be nerds. ---
**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-nerd-mean-to-you/318298/28 "2005-08-24T03:52:25Z")
The one qualifier for all nerds is a \*\* lack of concern \*\* for social skills. Meaning they don’t care that they don’t have them and don’t see a reason to develop them. I always hated the words dork and geek, to me nerd sounds cooler even though it represents something that is not. To me a dork is someone who understands the need for social skills but continuously fails to obtain them. A dork would wear his new WOW shirt thinking it is socially acceptable. A geek then, would have to be someone who does well socially but still enjoys activities that are “uncool”. This is the type of person would get laid while he has Mario Kart on pause. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-nerd-mean-to-you/318298/29 "2005-08-24T04:20:22Z")
I think you are a nerd if you have an interest in anything that bores most people to tears. I work in an area concerned with data analysis and we think of ourselvseas nerds, number nerds, but we are a very sociable bunch of people. My sons are nerds and always tell them that there is no shame in wearing any label that can’t be prefaced with “gangs of”. You don’t hear of gangs of nerds or gays or spazs out causing trouble. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-nerd-mean-to-you/318298/30 "2005-08-24T05:38:55Z")
> [@don't ask](#): > > I think you are a nerd if you have an interest in anything that bores most people to tears. Well said; when I was in grad school in literature, some of us called ourselves Lit-Nerds. Before you disagree, you must know why the word “Wawain” is funny. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-nerd-mean-to-you/318298/31 "2005-08-24T07:20:52Z")
A geek has one or more hobbies that most people are not interested in. Very intelligent, and has an impressive expertise in his hobby. Fully understands that most people don’t care about his hobby. Has at least one circle of friends that aren’t into his hobby, and rarely talks about his hobby around them. Good or at least average social skills. A nerd is like a geek but has poor social skills and, as a result of this, thinks that everyone would be interested in his hobby if only they were exposed to it. Rarely has any friends that don’t share his hobby. A dork is like a nerd but isn’t particularly smart and isn’t particularly good at his hobby. Very socially awkward; takes refuge among the nerds because of the low social skill standards. A dorkwad (and its effeminate variant, the gaywad) is like a dork, but so clumsy and awkward that the pisses off even nerds and dorks. A spaz is like a dorkwad, but is so awkward that he is is outright shunned even by nerds and dorks. Irritates his co-workers instead. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-nerd-mean-to-you/318298/32 "2005-08-24T12:26:46Z")
I’ve been following this thread in a truly geeky way and the one thing that seems largely agreed upon is that both \*\*Nerd \*\* & \*\*Geek \*\* can now be a badge of Honor and we still use \*\*Dork \*\* in a very negative way. ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-nerd-mean-to-you/318298/33 "2005-08-24T12:53:59Z")
> [@jrfranchi](#): > > A pretty good attempt to classify the Modern Geek. > [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geek](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geek) a) Is it geeky that I first read that as “A pretty good attempt to classify the Modern **Greek** ” as in Greek language? b) Women who can pull off the “Steph the Geek” look are okay in my book. Yum. ---
**Author:** ![yellowval](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/919ad9/32.png) [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-nerd-mean-to-you/318298/34 "2005-08-24T13:38:09Z")
According to Merriam Webster: “An unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; esp: one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits.” So, according to that definition, nerd does not apply only to obsession with hard science/fantasy. > [@SusanStoHelit](#): > > Who ever heard of a “Hemmingway nerd” or a “Schubert geek”? Silly science geek. Hemingway only has one “m.” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-nerd-mean-to-you/318298/35 "2005-08-24T13:55:41Z")
> [@yellowval](#): > > According to Merriam Webster: “An unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; esp: one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits.” > > So, according to that definition, nerd does not apply only to obsession with hard science/fantasy. > > Silly science geek. Hemingway only has one “m.” 😉 How about the OED, that’s kind of the bible of SDMB? ---
**Author:** ![yellowval](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/919ad9/32.png) [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-nerd-mean-to-you/318298/36 "2005-08-24T14:25:51Z")
I don’t have an OED on me and you have to pay to subscribe to the online OED. Maybe some other kind Doper will happen along and provide us with the OED definition. I did find a rather interesting [Wikipedia article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nerd). For those who didn’t know, Dr. Seuss invented the word “nerd.” ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-nerd-mean-to-you/318298/37 "2005-08-24T15:37:13Z")
> [@yellowval](#): > > I don’t have an OED on me and you have to pay to subscribe to the online OED. Maybe some other kind Doper will happen along and provide us with the OED definition. > > I did find a rather interesting [Wikipedia article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nerd). For those who didn’t know, Dr. Seuss invented the word “nerd.” I love Wiki, it was where I provide the Geek Definition from earlier. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-nerd-mean-to-you/318298/38 "2005-08-24T15:40:27Z")
> [@jrfranchi](#): > > I love Wiki, it was where I \*\*provide \*\* the Geek Definition from earlier. Try this again: it was were I \*\*provided \*\* the Geek Definition from earlier. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-nerd-mean-to-you/318298.md?page=1)