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{{short description|Expert or enthusiast obsessed with a hobby or intellectual pursuit}}
{{worldwide}}
{{other uses}}
] at the ] (]) wearing a Geek shirt and a ]]]


{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2016}}
The word '''geek''' is a ] term, noting individuals as "a peculiar or otherwise odd person, especially one who is perceived to be overly intellectual".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/geek|title=Dictionary: Geek|date=|accessdate=2007-10-12|work=Dictionary.com-Merriam-Webster entry
}}</ref> 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. The 1976 edition of the '']'' included only the definition regarding ]s.


The word '''''geek''''' is a ] term originally used to describe ] or non-mainstream people; in current use, the word typically connotes an expert or ] obsessed with a hobby or ] pursuit. In the past, it had a generally ] meaning of a "peculiar person, especially one who is perceived to be overly intellectual, unfashionable, boring, or socially awkward".<ref name="merriam-webster">{{cite web|url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/geek|title=Geek|access-date=January 2, 2016 |work=Dictionary.com-Merriam-Webster entry}}</ref> In the 21st century, it was ] and used by many people, especially members of some ]s, as a positive term.<ref> - BBC News</ref><ref> - Forbes</ref><ref> - Columbia Journalism Review</ref>
This word comes from English dialect ''geek, geck'': fool, ]; from Low German ''geck'', from Middle Low German.The root ''geck'' still survives in the ] word ''Gickeleshut'': geek's hat, used in carnivals<ref></ref>.

Some use the term self-referentially without malice or as a source of pride,<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hAzJoAEACAAJ&q=geek+art|title=Geek-Art: An Anthology: Art, Design, Illustration & Pop Culture|first=Thomas|last=Olivri|date=4 November 2014|publisher=Chronicle Books|page=4|isbn=9781452140483|via=Google Books}}</ref> often referring simply to "someone who is interested in a subject (usually intellectual or complex) for its own sake".

==Etymology==
The word comes from ] ''geek'' or ''geck'' (meaning a "fool" or "]"; from ] ''Geck''). ''Geck'' is a standard term in modern German and means "fool" or "fop".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Geck |title=Duden &#124; Geck &#124; Rechtschreibung, Bedeutung, Definition, Synonyme, Herkunft |language=de |publisher=Duden.de |date=October 30, 2012 |access-date=June 30, 2014}}</ref> The root also survives in the ] and ] ] ''gek'' ("crazy"), as well as some ], like the ] word ''Gickeleshut'' ("]'s hat"; used during carnival).<ref name="merriam-webster"/> In 18th century ], ''Gecken'' were freaks on display in some ]es. In 19th century North America, the term ''geek'' referred to a performer in a ] in a circus, ] or ] ]s (see also ]).<ref name="Online-Etymology-Dictionary">{{cite web|url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=geek|title=Geek|access-date=May 3, 2013 |work=Online Etymology Dictionary}}</ref> The 1976 edition of the '']'' included only the definition regarding geek shows.{{Clarify|date=December 2017}} This is the sense of "geek" in ]'s 1946 novel ''],'' twice adapted for the screen in 1947 and 2021.

This variation of the term was used to comic effect in the 1970s TV shows such as '']'', and '']''. In the Bounty Hunter episode of 1976 of ''Starsky and Hutch'', stating that "a geek is a freak in a circus side show, who is kept in a pit and they throw snakes and chicken heads at, and he runs around crazy and gobbles them up", and "in 1932 the geeks formed their own union".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://merltheearl.wordpress.com/2013/03/23/episode-22-bounty-hunter-revisited/|title=Episode 22, Bounty Hunter, Revisited|date=March 23, 2013 }}</ref>

Professional wrestling manager "Classy" ] recorded a song in the 1970s called "Pencil-Necked Geek".


==Definitions== ==Definitions==
The 1975 edition of the American Heritage Dictionary, published a decade before the ], gave only one definition: "Geek . A carnival performer whose act usually consists of biting the head off a live chicken or snake." The tech revolution found new uses for this word, but it still often conveys a derogatory sting. In 2017, Dictionary.com gave five definitions, the fourth of which is "a carnival performer who performs sensationally morbid or disgusting acts, as biting off the head of a live chicken."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dictionary.com/browse/geek |title=Dictionary.com: Geek |language=en |access-date=May 10, 2017}}</ref>
The definition of ''geek'' has changed considerably over time, and there is no longer a definitive meaning. The terms ] and ] have similar meanings as geek, but many choose to identify different connotations amongst the three terms, although the differences are disputed. In a 2007 interview on ], ] said the difference between nerds and geeks is "geeks get it done".<ref></ref> Julie Smith defined a geek as "a bright young man turned inward, poorly socialized, who felt so little kinship with his own planet that he routinely traveled to the ones invented by his favorite authors, who thought of that secret, dreamy place his computer took him to as cyberspace&mdash;somewhere exciting, a place more real than his own life, a land he could conquer, not a drab teenager's room in his parents' house".<ref></ref>


The term ] has a similar, practically synonymous meaning as geek, but many choose to identify different connotations among these two terms, although the differences are disputed.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kaestle |first1=Thomas |title=The story of Traceroute, about a Leitnerd's quest |url=https://boingboing.net/2016/04/14/the-story-of-traceroute-about.html |website=Boing Boing |date=April 14, 2016 |access-date=28 January 2019}}</ref> In a 2007 interview on '']'', ] said the difference between nerds and geeks is "geeks get it done" or "ggid".<ref></ref> ] defined a geek as "a bright young man turned inward, poorly socialized, who felt so little kinship with his own planet that he routinely traveled to the ones invented by his favorite authors, who thought of that secret, dreamy place his computer took him to as ]—somewhere exciting, a place more real than his own life, a land he could conquer, not a drab teenager's room in his parents' house."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://reconstruction.eserver.org/061/christensen.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011210529/http://reconstruction.eserver.org/061/christensen.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 11, 2007 |title=Reconstruction 6.1 (Winter 2006) |publisher=Reconstruction.eserver.org |access-date=June 30, 2014 }}</ref>
Other definitions include:
*A person who is interested in ], especially ] and ]. Most geeks are adept with computers, and treat the term '']'' as a term of respect, but not all are hackers themselves.
*A person who relates academic subjects to the real world outside of academic studies; for example, using ] to determine how they should correctly optimize the dimensions of a pan to bake a cake.
*A person who has chosen concentration rather than conformity; one who pursues skill (especially technical skill) and imagination, not mainstream social acceptance.
*A person with a devotion to something in a way that places him or her outside the mainstream. This could be due to the intensity, depth, or subject of their interest. This definition is very broad but because many of these interests have mainstream endorsement and acceptance, the inclusion of some genres as "geeky" is heavily debated. Persons have been labeled as or chosen to identify as ] geeks, ] geeks, ] geeks, ] geeks, various ] geeks, ] and ] geeks (]), ] geeks, ] geeks, ] geeks, ] geeks, ] geeks, ] geeks, ] geeks, ] geeks, ] geeks, and ] geeks.


==Impact==
==Reclaiming and self-identification==
Technologically oriented geeks, in particular, now exert a powerful influence over the global economy and society.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.stanford.edu/news/2012/october/innovation-economic-impact-102412.html|title=Study shows Stanford alumni create nearly $3 trillion in economic impact each year|work=Stanford News|first=Jamie|last=Beckett|date=October 24, 2012|access-date=July 12, 2014|archive-date=September 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921025708/https://news.stanford.edu/news/2012/october/innovation-economic-impact-102412.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Whereas previous generations of geeks tended to operate in research departments, laboratories and support functions, now they increasingly occupy senior corporate positions, and wield considerable commercial and political influence. When U.S. President ] met with Facebook's ] and the CEOs of the world's largest technology firms at a private dinner in Woodside, California on February 17, 2011, '']'' magazine ran a story titled "The world's most powerful man meets President Obama".<ref>{{cite news |title=The world's most powerful man meets President Obama |first1=Dan |last1=Amira |date=February 18, 2011 |newspaper=] |url=https://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2011/02/the_worlds_most_powerful_man_m.html}}</ref> At the time, Zuckerberg's company had grown to over one billion users.
Although being described as a geek tends to be an insult, the term has recently become more complimentary, or even a badge of honor, within particular fields. This is particularly evident in the technical disciplines, where the term is now often a compliment, denoting extraordinary skill. ] (Día del orgullo friki) has been observed on ] in ] since 2006. The holiday promotes the right to be nerdy or geeky, and to express it in public without shame (note that the definition of Spanish "friki" can be slightly different from geek or nerd). A new convention, ], has sprung up in Madison, Wisconsin with a purpose to celebrate all things geek. The website ] is an online community of boardgamers who identify themselves as geeks at game conventions; they call their website "The Geek", for short. Technical support services such as ] and Dial-a-Geek use the term ''geek'' to signify helpful technical abilities. In recent history, some geeks have cultivated a geek culture, such as ] and obscure references on T-shirts. The so-called '']'' trend is a deliberate affectation of geek or nerd traits as a fashion statement. Nonetheless, the derogatory definition of geeks remains that of a person engrossed in his area of interest at the cost of social skills, personal hygiene and status.


According to ] the rise of the geek represents a new phase of human evolution. In his book, '']''<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.harpercollins.com.au/books/Unnatural-Selection-Why-Geeks-Will-Inherit-Earth-Mark-Roeder/?isbn=9781743095683 |title=Unnatural Selection by Mark Roeder |access-date=September 7, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140312203756/http://www.harpercollins.com.au/books/Unnatural-Selection-Why-Geeks-Will-Inherit-Earth-Mark-Roeder/?isbn=9781743095683 |archive-date=March 12, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> he suggests that "the high-tech environment of the ] favours people with geek-like traits, many of whom are on the ], ], or ]. Previously, such people may have been at a disadvantage, but now their unique cognitive traits enable some of them to resonate with the new technological ] and become very successful."
==Geeks in popular culture==
* In 2005 and 2006, the former ] (now ]) ran a reality game show called '']'', where "geeks" try to share their knowledge with "beauties" while trying to learn a modern style from them. The show returned in January of 2007.
*] ran a game show named '']'' from 2001 to 2002. It featured contestants competing against a ] geek, ] geek, and a ] geek, along with a special fourth geek. The fourth geek would have a certain area of expertise such as '']'', '']'', ], '']'', and ]s.
*], produced by ], focuses on the shenanigans of a three-person ] support team located in a dingy, untidy and unkempt basement. Moss and Roy, the two technicians, are portrayed as socially inept geeks, while Jen, the newest member of the team, is hopelessly non-technical.
*The show '']'' explores the social conundrum of new students adapting to existing social norms. Geeks were shown to be interested in Star Wars, Star Trek, Dungeons and Dragons, Saturday Night Live and related actors, Monty Python, AV club and Atari. Members of their group acknowledged being different from others for their interests, looks, intelligence and lack of social skills.
*'']'' is a variety show for and about nerds and geeks.
* ] is a planned geek music festival.
*Geek Monthly is a recently launched lifestyle magazine, to be published six times a year in the ] by CFQ Media. The magazine is positioned in the marketplace as a more "]" version of established magazines such as ] and ] as well as the discontinued ]. The first issue featured ] on the cover in a ] pose, whilst features included that of ], Lifestyle and ].
*The TV show '']'' on '']'' is about two socially inept prodigies in their 20s who are living across the hall from a beautiful girl with a more conventional intellect. The male characters are consciously modelled around an extreme ] the geek/nerd stereotype.
* The ] novel '']'' filmed with ] begins and ends with a carnival geek.


'']'' magazine observed, on June 2, 2012, "Those square pegs (geeks) may not have an easy time in school. They may be mocked by jocks and ignored at parties. But these days no serious organisation can prosper without them."<ref>{{cite news|title=In praise of misfits|newspaper= The Economist|date= June 2, 2012|url= http://www.economist.com/node/21556230}}</ref>
==References==

<references/>
==Fashion==
{{anchor|Geek chic}}
"'''Geek chic'''" refers to a minor fashion trend that arose in the mid 2000s (decade), in which young people adopted "geeky" fashions, such as oversized black ], ]/], and ]. The glasses quickly became the defining aspect of the trend, with the media identifying various celebrities as "trying geek" or "going geek" for wearing such glasses, such as ] and ]. Meanwhile, in the sports world, many ] players wore "geek glasses" during ], drawing comparisons to ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V0330Drfkk | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211107/2V0330Drfkk| archive-date=2021-11-07 | url-status=live|title=Whacky NBA Playoff Fashion! | date=May 29, 2012|publisher=YouTube |access-date=June 26, 2012}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="wsj-nba">{{cite web|last=Cacciola |first=Scott |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303822204577466402604980564 |title=NBA Finals: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Other Fashion Plates of the NBA Make Specs of Themselves |publisher=Online.wsj.com |date=June 14, 2012 |access-date=June 26, 2012}}</ref>

The term "geek chic" was appropriated by some self-identified "geeks" to refer to a new, socially acceptable role in a technologically advanced society.<ref>{{cite web|last=Lambert |first=Katie |url=http://people.howstuffworks.com/geek-chic.htm |title=How Stuff works: Geek Chic |date=July 15, 2007 |publisher=People.howstuffworks.com |access-date=June 30, 2014}}</ref>


==See also== ==See also==
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}<!---♦♦♦ Please keep the list in alphabetical ♦♦♦--->
*]
*] and ], Japanese slang
*]ger
*] and ], British slang
*]
*] *]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*] *]
*]
*]
*] *]
*] *]
*] *]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*] *]
*] *]
*] *]
*] *]
*] *]
{{div col end}}
*]


==External links== ==References==
{{Reflist}}
*, an article discussing geek culture as a new kind of counter-culture.


==Further reading==
]
* {{cite journal|author=Reagle, Joseph|author-link=Joseph M. Reagle Jr.|url=https://journals.uic.edu/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/7879/6629|title=Nerd vs. bro: Geek privilege, idiosyncrasy, and triumphalism|journal=]|volume=23|issue=1|date=2018-01-01|doi=10.5210/fm.v23i1.7879|issn=1396-0466 |doi-access= free}}
]
]
]


==External links==
{{Link FA|he}}
{{Wiktionary}}
{{Wikiquote}}
{{commonscat|Geeks}}
* , an article discussing geek culture as a new kind of counter-culture.
* , an article about geek culture seen in a cultural historical perspective.
* Hoevel, Ann. "" ]. December 2, 2010.
* , '']'', October 22, 2003
*


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Latest revision as of 18:52, 19 December 2024

Expert or enthusiast obsessed with a hobby or intellectual pursuit For other uses, see Geek (disambiguation).
A Geek girl at the Geek Picnic (Moscow) wearing a Geek shirt and a VR headset

The word geek is a slang term originally used to describe eccentric or non-mainstream people; in current use, the word typically connotes an expert or enthusiast obsessed with a hobby or intellectual pursuit. In the past, it had a generally pejorative meaning of a "peculiar person, especially one who is perceived to be overly intellectual, unfashionable, boring, or socially awkward". In the 21st century, it was reclaimed and used by many people, especially members of some fandoms, as a positive term.

Some use the term self-referentially without malice or as a source of pride, often referring simply to "someone who is interested in a subject (usually intellectual or complex) for its own sake".

Etymology

The word comes from English dialect geek or geck (meaning a "fool" or "freak"; from Middle Low German Geck). Geck is a standard term in modern German and means "fool" or "fop". The root also survives in the Dutch and Afrikaans adjective gek ("crazy"), as well as some German dialects, like the Alsatian word Gickeleshut ("jester's hat"; used during carnival). In 18th century Austria, Gecken were freaks on display in some circuses. In 19th century North America, the term geek referred to a performer in a geek show in a circus, traveling carnival or travelling funfair sideshows (see also freak show). The 1976 edition of the American Heritage Dictionary included only the definition regarding geek shows. This is the sense of "geek" in William Lindsay Gresham's 1946 novel Nightmare Alley, twice adapted for the screen in 1947 and 2021.

This variation of the term was used to comic effect in the 1970s TV shows such as Sanford & Son, and Starsky and Hutch. In the Bounty Hunter episode of 1976 of Starsky and Hutch, stating that "a geek is a freak in a circus side show, who is kept in a pit and they throw snakes and chicken heads at, and he runs around crazy and gobbles them up", and "in 1932 the geeks formed their own union".

Professional wrestling manager "Classy" Freddie Blassie recorded a song in the 1970s called "Pencil-Necked Geek".

Definitions

The 1975 edition of the American Heritage Dictionary, published a decade before the Digital Revolution, gave only one definition: "Geek . A carnival performer whose act usually consists of biting the head off a live chicken or snake." The tech revolution found new uses for this word, but it still often conveys a derogatory sting. In 2017, Dictionary.com gave five definitions, the fourth of which is "a carnival performer who performs sensationally morbid or disgusting acts, as biting off the head of a live chicken."

The term nerd has a similar, practically synonymous meaning as geek, but many choose to identify different connotations among these two terms, although the differences are disputed. In a 2007 interview on The Colbert Report, Richard Clarke said the difference between nerds and geeks is "geeks get it done" or "ggid". Julie Smith defined a geek as "a bright young man turned inward, poorly socialized, who felt so little kinship with his own planet that he routinely traveled to the ones invented by his favorite authors, who thought of that secret, dreamy place his computer took him to as cyberspace—somewhere exciting, a place more real than his own life, a land he could conquer, not a drab teenager's room in his parents' house."

Impact

Technologically oriented geeks, in particular, now exert a powerful influence over the global economy and society. Whereas previous generations of geeks tended to operate in research departments, laboratories and support functions, now they increasingly occupy senior corporate positions, and wield considerable commercial and political influence. When U.S. President Barack Obama met with Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and the CEOs of the world's largest technology firms at a private dinner in Woodside, California on February 17, 2011, New York magazine ran a story titled "The world's most powerful man meets President Obama". At the time, Zuckerberg's company had grown to over one billion users.

According to Mark Roeder the rise of the geek represents a new phase of human evolution. In his book, Unnatural Selection: Why The Geeks Will Inherit The Earth he suggests that "the high-tech environment of the Anthropocene favours people with geek-like traits, many of whom are on the autism spectrum, ADHD, or dyslexia. Previously, such people may have been at a disadvantage, but now their unique cognitive traits enable some of them to resonate with the new technological zeitgeist and become very successful."

The Economist magazine observed, on June 2, 2012, "Those square pegs (geeks) may not have an easy time in school. They may be mocked by jocks and ignored at parties. But these days no serious organisation can prosper without them."

Fashion

"Geek chic" refers to a minor fashion trend that arose in the mid 2000s (decade), in which young people adopted "geeky" fashions, such as oversized black horn-rimmed glasses, suspenders/braces, and capri pants. The glasses quickly became the defining aspect of the trend, with the media identifying various celebrities as "trying geek" or "going geek" for wearing such glasses, such as David Beckham and Justin Timberlake. Meanwhile, in the sports world, many NBA players wore "geek glasses" during post-game interviews, drawing comparisons to Steve Urkel.

The term "geek chic" was appropriated by some self-identified "geeks" to refer to a new, socially acceptable role in a technologically advanced society.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Geek". Dictionary.com-Merriam-Webster entry. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  2. Are 'geek' and 'nerd' now positive terms? - BBC News
  3. Geek Is Now A Praiseword, Not An Insult Apparently - Forbes
  4. The transformation of the word geek - Columbia Journalism Review
  5. Olivri, Thomas (November 4, 2014). Geek-Art: An Anthology: Art, Design, Illustration & Pop Culture. Chronicle Books. p. 4. ISBN 9781452140483 – via Google Books.
  6. "Duden | Geck | Rechtschreibung, Bedeutung, Definition, Synonyme, Herkunft" (in German). Duden.de. October 30, 2012. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
  7. "Geek". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved May 3, 2013.
  8. "Episode 22, Bounty Hunter, Revisited". March 23, 2013.
  9. "Dictionary.com: Geek". Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  10. Kaestle, Thomas (April 14, 2016). "The story of Traceroute, about a Leitnerd's quest". Boing Boing. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
  11. The Colbert Report 17th of January video interview Richard Clarke
  12. "Reconstruction 6.1 (Winter 2006)". Reconstruction.eserver.org. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
  13. Beckett, Jamie (October 24, 2012). "Study shows Stanford alumni create nearly $3 trillion in economic impact each year". Stanford News. Archived from the original on September 21, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
  14. Amira, Dan (February 18, 2011). "The world's most powerful man meets President Obama". New York Magazine.
  15. "Unnatural Selection by Mark Roeder". Archived from the original on March 12, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
  16. "In praise of misfits". The Economist. June 2, 2012.
  17. "Whacky NBA Playoff Fashion!". YouTube. May 29, 2012. Archived from the original on November 7, 2021. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
  18. Cacciola, Scott (June 14, 2012). "NBA Finals: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Other Fashion Plates of the NBA Make Specs of Themselves". Online.wsj.com. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
  19. Lambert, Katie (July 15, 2007). "How Stuff works: Geek Chic". People.howstuffworks.com. Retrieved June 30, 2014.

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