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{{short description|Descriptive term}}
:''For other uses of the term, see ].''
{{Other uses}}
{{pp-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
A '''nerd''' is a person seen as overly ], ], ], or lacking ]. Such a person may spend inordinate amounts of time on unpopular, little known, or non-mainstream activities, which are generally either highly technical, abstract, or relating to niche topics such as ] or ], to the exclusion of more mainstream activities.<ref>, "Dictionary.com, LLC" 2011, accessed May 13, 2011.</ref><ref>nerd, n. ] online. Third edition, September 2003; online version September 2011. First included in Oxford English Dictionary second edition, 1989.</ref><ref name=webster>{{Citation |url= http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nerd |access-date= 2011-11-23 |title= Definition of NERD |work= ] |year= 2011 }}</ref> Additionally, many so-called nerds are described as being ], ], ]ic, and ].<ref>{{Cite journal |doi= 10.2307/2112783 |title= From nerds to normals: The recovery of identity among adolescents from middle school to high school |author= DA Kinney |year=1993 |pages=21–40 |journal= Sociology of Education |volume= 66 |issue=1 |jstor= 2112783 | issn=0038-0407}}</ref>


Originally ], the term "nerd" was a ], but as with other ], it has been ] and redefined by some as a term of pride and group identity.<ref>{{Cite journal |title= Nerds and Geeks: Society's Evolving Stereotypes of Our Students With Gifts and Talents |author= Tracy L. Cross |year=2005 |journal= Social/Emotional Needs |volume= 28 |issue=4 }}</ref>


==Etymology==
]
The first documented appearance of the word ''nerd'' is as the name of a creature in ]'s book '']'' (1950), in which the narrator Gerald McGrew claims that he would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a ] too" for his imaginary zoo.<ref name=webster/><ref name="English Language 1212">American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition, p. 1212, Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston – New York – London, 1992.</ref><ref>], '']'', p. 47, Random House Books for Young Readers. New York, 1950.</ref> The ] meaning of the term dates to 1951.<ref name="Harper">{{OEtymD|nerd}}</ref> That year, '']'' magazine reported on its popular use as a synonym for '']'' or '']'' in ], ].<ref>'']'' (1951-10-8), p. 28</ref> By the early 1960s, usage of the term had spread throughout the United States, and even as far as Scotland.<ref>Gregory J. Marsh in Special Collections at the ] library as reported in {{webarchive|url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080131223744/http://www3.iath.virginia.edu/lists_archive/Humanist/v04/0074.html |date=2008-01-31 }} (1990-6-28) Vol. 4, No. 0235.</ref><ref>Glasgow, Scotland, ''Sunday Mail'' (1957-02-10).</ref> At some point, the word took on connotations of bookishness and social ineptitude.<ref name="English Language 1212"/>
Traditionally, the designation '''nerd''' (occasionally in the form '''nurd''') applies to an intellectually gifted (probably > 120 or so IQ) but lonely and socially awkward ], one fascinated by ], especially ] and ], and less interested in physical and social activities. Visual impairment (hence the glasses) and some form of ] are also common characteristics, and the social impairment can often be explained by the latter. Beginning in the late ], many nerds on the ] reclaimed the word ''nerd'' as a badge of pride, and began using it as a positive description of any technically competent person, with less implication or focus on social awkwardness. Dispute continues as to whether to regard ''nerd'' and '']'' as ]s, or if not, as to exactly how they differ.


An alternate spelling,<ref>''The many spellings of Nurd'', Fall 1970 (revised 2015)</ref> as ''nurd'' or ''gnurd'', also began to appear in the mid-1960s, or early 1970s.<ref>''Current Slang: A Quarterly Glossary of Slang Expressions Currently In Use'' (1971). Vol. V, No. 4, Spring 1971, p. 17</ref> Author ] claimed to have coined the "nurd" spelling in 1973, but its first recorded use appeared in a 1965 student publication at ] (RPI).<ref>Personal Correspondence (1973-9-4) reported on </ref><ref>RPI ''Bachelor'' (1965), V14 #1</ref> ] there holds that the word is derived from ''knurd'' ('']'' spelled backwards), which was used to describe people who studied rather than partied. The term ''gnurd'' (spelled with the "g") was in use at the ] (MIT) by the year 1965.<ref>''More Mathematical People'' (D.J. Albers, J.L. Alexanderson and C. Reid), p. 105 (1990). Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich.</ref> The term "nurd" was also in use at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as early as 1971.<ref>{{Citation |url=http://tech.mit.edu/V90/PDF/V90-N57.pdf |work=The Daily Reamer, Volume 69, No. 20 |page=6 |date=February 3, 1971 |title=Johnson honors Nurd for saving Institute |publisher=Massachusetts Institute of Technology |postscript=. |access-date=14 May 2014 |archive-date=22 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022020354/http://tech.mit.edu/V90/PDF/V90-N57.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The philosopher ] adopted the term '''''nerd''''' in the mid-] to describe a stereotypical intelligent ] with poor ], one often the butt of others' ]s. The word itself first appeared in ]'s book ''If I Ran the Zoo'', published in ], where it simply names one of Seuss's many comical imaginary animals. (The narrator Gerald McGrew claims that he would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too" for his imaginary zoo.) Another theory of the word's origin sees it as a version of ], the name of ]'s ventriloquist dummy. Yet another theory traces the term to '']'', where the employees wore pocket protectors with the acronym N.E.R.D. printed on them. And yet another theory claims that ''nerd'' comes from the word "drunk" reversed to "]", to illustrate someone who did not drink at parties.


According to '']'', the word is an alteration of the 1940s term "''nert''" (meaning "stupid or crazy person"), which is in itself an alteration of "]" (nutcase).{{refn|name=Harper}}
The ] ''nerd image'' as seen in the ] and ]s equates to a young man wearing thick black glasses (preferably broken and taped up with electrical tape), ]s, high-water pants and dress shirts or clothes generally too formal for the circumstances. Sometimes the stereotype lacks personal hygiene skills, and he will typically appear either very skinny or extremely fat. Stereotypical nerds usually lack social graces and the ability to perform social interaction, except on technical topics.


The term was popularized in the 1970s by its heavy use in the ] '']''.<ref>{{Citation
Traditionally used solely to describe men and boys, the terms "nerd" and "]" have been adopted by many women interested in technology, science, mathematics and other typically male-dominated intellectual fields as badges of their accomplishments in these areas.
| first1 = David
| last1 = Fantle
| first2 = Tom
| last2 = Johnson
| title = Reel to Real: 25 Years of Celebrity Interviews
| publisher = Badger Books Inc.
|date=November 2003
| chapter = "Nerd" is the Word: Henry Winkler, August 1981
| pages = 239–242
}}</ref>


==Culture==
In association with their image in certain ] as a so-called ], some East ] get stereotyped as studious and untalkative nerds.
===Stereotype===
Because of the nerd stereotype, many intelligent people are often thought of as nerdy. This belief can be harmful, as it can cause high-school students to "switch off their lights" out of fear of being branded as a nerd,<ref name="In Praise">{{cite news |last= Anderegg |first=Mr |title= In Praise of Nerds |url= http://www.economist.com/node/10493332 |newspaper= The Economist |date=12 January 2008}}</ref> and cause otherwise appealing people to be considered nerdy simply for their intellect. It was once thought that intellectuals were nerdy because they were envied. However, ] stated in his essay, "Why Nerds are Unpopular", that intellect is neutral, meaning that you are neither loved nor despised for it. He also states that it is only the correlation that makes smart teens automatically seem nerdy, and that a nerd is someone that is not socially adept enough. Additionally, he says that the reason why many smart kids are unpopular is that they "don't have time for the activities required for popularity."<ref name=":0">{{cite web|last=Graham|first=Paul|title=Why Nerds are Unpopular|url=http://www.paulgraham.com/nerds.html}}</ref>


Stereotypical nerd appearance, often lampooned in ]s, can include very large ], ], ], severe ] and ] worn high at the waist. Following suit of popular use in emoticons, Unicode released in 2015 its "Nerd Face" character, featuring some of those stereotypes: 🤓 (code point U+1F913). In the media, many nerds are males, portrayed as being physically unfit, either ] or ] due to lack of physical exercise.<ref name=":1">Lori Kendall. "OH NO! I'M A NERD!": Hegemonic Masculinity on an Online Forum. ''Gender Society''. '''14''': 256. (2000)</ref><ref>Ron Eglash. Race, Sex, and Nerds. ''Social Text''. '''20:''' 49 (2002)</ref> It has been suggested by some, such as linguist ], that being a nerd may be a state of being "hyperwhite" and rejecting ] and slang that "cool" white children use.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/29/magazine/29wwln-idealab-t.html?_r=1&ref=magazine&oref=slogin|title= Who's a Nerd, Anyway? |access-date=2007-07-28 |author=Benjamin Nugent|date=July 29, 2007|work=] Magazine}}</ref> However, after the '']'' movie franchise (with multicultural nerds), and the introduction of the ] character on the television series '']'', nerds have been seen in all races and colors as well as more recently being a frequent young East Asian or Indian male stereotype in North America. Portrayal of "nerd girls", in films such as '']'', '']'' and '']'' depicts that smart but nerdy women might suffer later in life if they do not focus on improving their ].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Gateward|first=Frances K.|author2=Murray Pomerance|author2-link = Murray Pomerance |title=Sugar, spice, and everything nice: cinemas of girlhood|publisher=Wayne State University Press|year=2002|isbn=978-0-8143-2918-4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ywsajx7jqAMC&q=nerd+girl&pg=PA239|access-date=2009-07-23}}</ref>
==Nerds in art and literature==
Dramatic depictions of good nerds typically have them as good-hearted people who wish harm on no one, but whom their obvious intellectual inferiors bully. Many nerds in fiction play roles as supporting characters who provide valuable sources of information or useful skills for the heroes. Nerds as lead characters often have a ] as a ]; so a put-upon person has a wonderful secret. Nerds in supporting roles often feature as technological geniuses who invent or repair ]s that enable the main characters to move towards a goal. They also serve as socially inept foils to much more charming main characters.


In the United States, a 2010 study published in the ''Journal of International and Intercultural Communication'' indicated that ] are perceived as most likely to be nerds, followed by ], while non-White ] and ] were perceived as least likely to be nerds. These stereotypes stem from concepts of ] and ], as discussed in Ron Eglash's essay "Race, Sex, and Nerds: From Black Geeks to Asian American Hipsters".<ref>Eglash, R. 'Race, Sex, And Nerds: FROM BLACK GEEKS TO ASIAN AMERICAN HIPSTERS'. ''Social Text'' 20.2 71 (2002): 49–64. Web. 11 Dec. 2015.</ref>
Evil nerds, typically embittered through a lifetime lived as a social outcast and seeking revenge upon the world, provide a popular archetype for the ], often as a ].


Some of the stereotypical behaviors associated with the "nerd" stereotype have correlations with the traits of ] or other ] conditions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://aspergers101.com/high-functioning-autism-vs-asperers-syndrome/|title = High-Functioning Autism vs. Asperger Syndrome| date=15 October 2013 }}</ref>
Nerds in ] often wear round white opaque glasses, with or without a spiral drawn on them. If they wear transparent glasses, they like to adjust their glasses so that they reflect light, and give an intimidating feeling. These characters usually play more important parts in the story than in western entertainment, probably due to the Japanese culture's emphasis on academic work and studies rather than on social success. (Note too that people who make anime or ] would themselves often qualify as '']''s or nerds.)


===Pride===
In the ], "nerd" developed distinct positive connotations within social spheres connected to ] and the ], to denote with pride a technically skilled person. This also extended towards financial success in these fields, with ] himself often described as a nerd, though a remarkably wealthy one. The popular computer-news website ] bills itself as "News for nerds. Stuff that matters."
The rise of ] and the American ] industry at large has allowed many so-called "nerdy people" to accumulate large fortunes and influence media culture. Many stereotypically nerdy interests, such as ], ] and ] works, are now international popular culture hits.<ref>{{cite news|last=Woyke|first=Elizabeth|title=Celebrity Nerds Come Out|url=https://www.forbes.com/2008/09/19/celebrity-geeks-gadgets-tech-personal-cx_ew_0919celeb.html|access-date=26 June 2012|newspaper=Forbes|date=19 September 2008}}</ref> Some measures of nerdiness are now allegedly considered desirable, as, to some, it suggests a person who is intelligent, respectful, interesting, and able to earn a large salary. Stereotypical nerd qualities are evolving, going from awkwardness and ] to an allegedly more widespread acceptance and sometimes even celebration of their differences.<ref>{{cite news|last=Cringely|first=Robert|title=Triumph of the Nerds: A History of the Computer|url=https://www.pbs.org/nerds/timeline/micro.html|access-date=26 June 2012|newspaper=Public Broadcasting Service}}</ref>


], researcher, self-proclaimed nerd and director of nerd documentary '']'', reflects on the emergence of nerds and nerd culture:
Non-nerds often think of nerds as intelligent yet socially awkward people. Stereotypically, in high school, the more "popular" or more socially adept ]s often ridicule and bully those labeled as nerds, who have a reputation of engaging deeply in academic areas. Nerds generally express an above-normal interest in complex subjects and often function as ]s. Topics dealing with ]s and ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ] literature have become heavily associated with nerds.
{{blockquote|I think that the figure of the nerd provides a beautiful template for analyzing the transformation of the disciplinary society into the control society. The nerd, in his cliche form, first stepped out upon the world stage in the mid-1970s, when we were beginning to hear the first rumblings of what would become the Cambrian explosion of the information society. The nerd must serve as comic relief for the future-anxieties of Western society. ...The germ cell of burgeoning nerdism is difference. The yearning to be understood, to find opportunities to share experiences, to not be left alone with one's bizarre interest. At the same time one derives an almost perverse pleasure from wallowing in this deficit. Nerds love deficiency: that of the other, but also their own. Nerds are eager explorers, who enjoy measuring themselves against one another and also compete aggressively. And yet the nerd's existence also comprises an element of the occult, of mystery. The way in which this power is expressed or focused is very important.|Johannes Grenzfurthner, interviewed by Thomas Kaestle, '']'', 14 April 2016<ref>{{cite news|url=http://boingboing.net/2016/04/14/the-story-of-traceroute-about.html|title=The story of Traceroute, about a Leitnerd's quest: Johannes Grenzfurthner talks about Traceroute|publisher=]|first=Thomas|last=Kaestle|date=14 April 2016|access-date=1 January 2017}}</ref>}}


In the 1984 film '']'', ] worked to embody the nerd stereotype; in doing so, he helped create a definitive image of nerds.<ref>{{Cite news | last = Singer | first = Jon | title = Carradine hits the jackpot as Lewis Skolnick | magazine = Lumino | date = 2005-08-28 | url = http://www.luminomagazine.com/mw/content/view/341/10/ | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160101085415/http://www.luminomagazine.com/mw/content/view/341/10/ | archive-date = 2016-01-01 }}</ref> Additionally, the storyline presaged, and may have helped inspire, the "nerd pride" that emerged in the late 1990s.{{speculation inline|date=November 2021}} '']'' regular ] claims this was the movie that inspired him to become "The Genuine Nerd from ]."<ref>{{Cite news | last = Hensley | first = Dennis | title = Revenge of the nerd: American Splendor's Toby Radloff is out and proud about his sexuality and his nerddom | magazine = The Advocate | date = 2003-09-02 | url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1589/is_2003_Sept_2/ai_110737685 | access-date = 22 July 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071117062557/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1589/is_2003_Sept_2/ai_110737685 | archive-date = 17 November 2007 | url-status = dead }}</ref> In the ''American Splendor'' film, Toby's friend, ''American Splendor'' author ], was less receptive to the movie, believing it to be hopelessly idealistic, explaining that Toby, an adult low income file clerk, had nothing in common with the middle class kids in the film who would eventually attain college degrees, success, and cease being perceived as nerds. Many, however, seem to share Radloff's view, as "nerd pride" has become more widespread in the years since. ] professor ], for example, seeks to instill pride in nerds:
Because of these tendencies, some have noticed similarities between nerdy behavior and the neurological disorder of ]. No studies have shown a correlation or causal relationship between the two; only ] suggests a connection.
{{blockquote|My idea is to present an image to children that it is good to be intellectual, and not to care about the peer pressures to be anti-intellectual. I want every child to turn into a nerd – where that means someone who prefers studying and learning to competing for social dominance, which can unfortunately cause the downward spiral into social rejection.|Gerald Sussman, quoted by Katie Hafner, '']'', 29 August 1993<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/29/business/woman-computer-nerd-and-proud.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm|title=Woman, Computer Nerd – and Proud|newspaper=]|first=Katie|last=Hafner|date=29 August 1993|access-date=11 June 2011}}</ref>}}


==Nerds and geeks== === Bullying ===
Individuals who are labeled as "nerds" are often the target of ] due to a range of reasons that may include physical appearance or social background.<ref name=":1" /> Paul Graham has suggested that the reason nerds are frequently singled out for bullying is their indifference to popularity or social context, in the face of a youth culture that views popularity as paramount.<ref name=":0" /> However, research findings suggest that bullies are often as socially inept as their academically better-performing victims,<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Nicholson|first=Christie|date=2010-07-10|title=Bully or Victim? More Similar Than We Might Think|url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/bully-or-victim-more-similar-than-w-10-07-10|journal=Scientific American (Supplemental Podcast)|access-date=2017-07-06}}</ref> and that popularity fails to confer protection from bullying.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2014/04/01/297700322/being-popular-doesn-t-protect-kids-from-bullying-in-high-school|title=Becoming More Popular Doesn't Protect Teens From Bullying|access-date=2017-07-06|author=Mannvi Singh|date=April 1, 2014|work=NPR Health Shots – Health News From NPR}}</ref> Other commentators have pointed out that pervasive harassment of intellectually-oriented youth began only in the mid-twentieth century.<ref>{{cite web|last=Evans|first=RJ|title=A Short Illustrated History of the Nerd|url=http://www.kuriositas.com/2011/06/short-illustrated-history-of-nerd.html|access-date=2017-07-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Thanks Always Returns|title=The origin of nerds|url=http://www.thanksalwaysreturns.net/TheOriginOfNerds.html|access-date=2017-07-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170907033545/http://www.thanksalwaysreturns.net/TheOriginOfNerds.html|archive-date=7 September 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>


==In popular culture==
Pundits and observers dispute the relationship of the terms ''nerd'' and '']'' to one another. Some view the geek as a less technically skilled nerd. Some factions maintain that "nerds" have both technical skills and social competence, whereas ''geeks'' display technical skills while socially incompetent; others hold an exactly reversed view, with ''geek'' serving as the socially competent counterpart of the socially incompetent ''nerd'', and call themselves ''geeks'' with pride (compare ], an organization that sends people with technical skills to ] countries to assist in computer ] development).
*'']'' by ], a parody of the song '']'' by ], prominently features and celebrates aspects of nerd culture.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Williams|first1=Justin A.|title=The Cambridge Companion to Hip-Hop|date=2015|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9781107037465|page=227|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ha0PBgAAQBAJ&q=White+%26+Nerdy+weird+al+parody&pg=PA227}}</ref>
*] uses the ] "News for nerds. Stuff that matters." The ] quote "Be nice to nerds. You may end up working for them." has been popularized on the Internet and incorrectly attributed to ].<ref>{{Cite web | last1 = Mikkelson | first1 = Barbara | last2 = Mikkelson | first2 = David P. | title = Some Rules Kids Won't Learn in School | year = 2000 | url = http://www.snopes.com/language/document/liferule.asp | access-date = 2007-07-22 }}</ref>
*In Spain, ] has been observed on May 25 since 2006,<ref name="celebrate">{{cite web | url=http://www.forevergeek.com/2010/05/celebrate_geek_pride_day_2010/ | title=Celebrate Geek Pride Day 2010 | date=24 May 2010 | access-date=20 April 2014 | author=Tassara-Twigg, Noemi | archive-date=21 April 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140421064142/http://www.forevergeek.com/2010/05/celebrate_geek_pride_day_2010/ | url-status=dead }}</ref> the same day as ], another somewhat nerdy holiday.<ref name="geek/nerd">{{cite web | url=http://newsok.com/happy-geeknerd-pride-day/article/3792939 | title=Happy Geek/Nerd Pride Day! | publisher=NewsOK.com | date=25 May 2010 | access-date=20 April 2014 | author=Price, Matthew}}</ref> The date was picked as it is the anniversary of the release of '']''.<ref name="Helmenstine">{{cite web | url=http://chemistry.about.com/b/2012/05/25/happy-geek-pride-day-2.htm | title=Happy Geek Pride Day! | publisher=About.com | date=25 May 2012 | access-date=20 April 2014 | author=Helmenstine, Anne Marie | archive-date=21 April 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140421064411/http://chemistry.about.com/b/2012/05/25/happy-geek-pride-day-2.htm | url-status=dead }}</ref>
*Australian events such as Oz Comic-Con (a large ] and ] convention, similar to ]) and Supernova, are incredibly popular events among the culture of people who identify themselves as nerds. In 2016, Oz Comic-Con in ] saw almost 20,000 cosplayers and comic book fans meet to celebrate the event, hence being named a "professionally organised ] for geeks".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-01/fans-embrace-comic-con-perth/7293654|title=Fantasy fans to flock Perth Oz Comic-Con spectacle|date=2016-04-01|website=ABC News|language=en-AU|access-date=2016-05-16}}</ref>
*Fans of the ] (a ] channel starring ] and ]) call themselves "nerdfighters" and refer to the fan base as a whole as "]".<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/a-note-on-nerdfighters|title=A Note on Nerdfighters|date=March 13, 2013|magazine=The New Yorker|access-date=September 20, 2020}}</ref>


==See also==
Some regional differences may exist in the use of the words ''nerd'' and ''geek''. Some claim that on the North American west coast the population prefers the term ''geek'' to ''nerd'', while the North American east coast prefers the word ''nerd'' to ''geek'' (see ]'s page on ). Others on the east coast dispute this, claiming that they have always found ''nerd'' used disparagingly and ''geek'' used in a positive light. In Britain, this latter view tends to apply &mdash; ''nerd'' has more offensive connotations than ''geek'', which speakers of ] often use affectionately. Compare '']''.
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}<!---♦♦♦ Please keep the list in alphabetical ♦♦♦--->
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*]
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==References==
The word ''nerd'' gained currency from the 1950s at a time when many school students did not see excelling at school as "cool". Therefore ''nerd'' originated as a derogatory word (although some people now consider it a compliment), while the term ''geek'' became widespread later (1980s) and has avoided many of the negative connotations. ''Geek'' as a milder version of ''nerd'' may also apply to socially insignificant people, while ''nerd'' refers more to socially inept people.


{{Reflist}}
==Nerd pride==
] professor ] aims to instill pride in nerds:


==Further reading==
:My idea is to present an image to children that it is good to be intellectual, and not to care about the peer pressures to be anti-intellectual. I want every child to turn into a nerd - where that means someone who prefers studying and learning to competing for social dominance.
* {{cite journal|last= Bucholtz |first= Mary|title= 'Why be normal?': Language and identity practices in a community of nerd girls |journal=Language in Society |year=1999|volume=28 |issue= 2|pages= 203–23|author-link=Mary Bucholtz |doi= 10.1017/s0047404599002043|doi-broken-date= 1 November 2024|url= https://cloudfront.escholarship.org/dist/prd/content/qt73c1p4j9/qt73c1p4j9.pdf|doi-access= free}}
* {{cite book|last=Frayling |first= Christopher|title=Mad, Bad And Dangerous?: The Scientist and the Cinema |year= 2005 |publisher= Reaktion Books |author-link= Christopher Frayling}}
* – Feature-length documentary on Toby Radloff.
* {{cite journal |last = Kendall |first = Lori |year= 1999 |title= 'The Nerd Within': Mass Media and the Negotiation of Identity Among Computer-Using Men |journal=] |volume=7 |issue= 3 |pages= 353–69|doi = 10.3149/jms.0703.353 |s2cid = 144398035 }}
* {{cite journal |last = Kendall |first = Lori | author-mask = 3 |year= 1999 |title= Nerd Nation: Images of Nerds in U.S. Popular Culture |journal= International Journal of Cultural Studies |volume= 2 |issue= 2 |pages= 260–83 |doi= 10.1177/136787799900200206|s2cid = 146186669 }}
* {{cite journal |last =Kendall |first = Lori | author-mask = 3 |year= 2000 |title= 'Oh No! I'm a Nerd!': Hegemonic Masculinity on an Online Forum |journal= Gender & Society |volume= 14 |issue= 2 |pages=256–74 |doi= 10.1177/089124300014002003|s2cid = 145705135 }}
* Newitz, A. & Anders, C. (Eds) ''She's Such a Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology, and Other Nerdy Stuff''. Seal Press, 2006.
* {{cite book |last= Nugent |first= Benjamin |title= American Nerd: The Story of My People |year= 2008 |publisher= Scribner |location= New York |isbn= 978-0-7432-8801-9 |url-access= registration |url= https://archive.org/details/americannerdstor00nuge }}
* {{Citation | last = Okada | first = Toshio | title = Otaku Gaku Nyumon | language = ja |trans-title=Introduction to ]ology | publisher = Ohta Verlag | place = Tokyo | year = 1996}}.


==External links==
:-- Gerald Sussman, quoted by Katie Hafner, "New York Times", 1994-08-29.
{{wiktionary|nerd}}
<!-- Wikipedians: because of recent spam-links (a form of Misplaced Pages vandalism), please discuss external links on the talk page first. Thanks. -->
* "" (Paper by Jason Tocci presented at the MIT5 conference. PDF, 180kb).
* , an essay by ] about the conformist society in American high schools.
* , an article by Brian Hayes in ''],'' September–October 2000.


{{Fandom}}
The 1984 movie '']'' explored the concept of "nerd pride" to comical effect.


{{Authority control}}
An episode from the animated series '']'' titled "Nerdator" has a plotline that involves the use of nerds to power the mind of a ]-like enemy, who delivers a memorable monologue on the importance of nerds:

''"...what they lack in physical strength they make up in brain power. Who writes all the best selling books? Nerds. Who directs the top grossing ] movies? Nerds. Who creates the highly advanced technology that only they can understand? ...Nerds. And who are the people who run for the office of the Presidency? No one but nerds."''

Eventually, after having the flaws pointed out, he decides to drain the minds of good-looking but vapid ] (but nobody cares).

Within science fiction convention circles in Toronto, Canada being a nerd is embraced. The labels "dude-nerd" and "chick-nerd" have been coined.

==Depictions in fiction and media==
], from '']'' is one of the more famous examples of nerds in popular culture]]
* Bernard Bernoulli, from the ] adventure game series
* ], '']'' to '']''
* Bob Andrews, from '']''
* The Brain, '']''
* Brains, '']''
* Brainy Smurf, '']''
* Carl Chryniszzswics, '']''
* Carlton Banks, '']''
* ], '']''
* Daria, '']'', '']''
* Dennis Nedry, '']''
* Dexter and Mandark, '']''
* ], '']''
* Edd, '']''
* Egon Spengler, ''], ]''
* ], '']''
* Gretchen, '']''
* ], '']''
* ], " ] series"
* Irwin, '']''
* Keitaro Urashima and Naru Narusegawa, '']''
* Klaus Baudelaire, ]
* Koushiro "Izzy" Izumi, Joe Kido, Miyako Inoue "Yolei" '']''
* Jassi, '']''
* ], '']''
* Louis Nichols, ], ] era (aka ])
* Louis Skolnick, '']''
* Louis Tully, "]"
* Makubex, '']''
* Marilyn, '']''
* ], '']''
* Milhouse Van Houten, '']''
* Napoleon Dynamite, '']''
* Parfet, '']''
* ], (in earlier versions as ]'s ''alter ego'')
* Peter Thompson, '']''
* Poindexter, '']''
* Buddy "Syndrome" Pine - '']''
* Professor Farnsworth, '']''
* ], '']''
* ], ] movies
* ], '']''
* ], '']''
* Shirase Akira, '']''
* ], '']''
* Toby Radloff, '']'' movie
* Velma, '']''
* ], '']'' (though less so toward the end of the series); compare "The Evil Trio", aka "The Troika" (], ] and ])
* Willy DeWitt, '']''
* Yo-less, the '']'' trilogy

Numerous examples exist in '']'' and '']''

==See also==
* ]
* "]"
* ]
* ]
* ]: Trekkies, Rennies, Geeks, Fanboys, etc.

==External links==
*
* The Geek Syndrome
* An essay written by Paul Graham
* Another essay written by Paul Graham


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Latest revision as of 01:53, 20 December 2024

Descriptive term For other uses, see Nerd (disambiguation).

A nerd is a person seen as overly intellectual, obsessive, introverted, or lacking social skills. Such a person may spend inordinate amounts of time on unpopular, little known, or non-mainstream activities, which are generally either highly technical, abstract, or relating to niche topics such as science fiction or fantasy, to the exclusion of more mainstream activities. Additionally, many so-called nerds are described as being shy, quirky, pedantic, and unattractive.

Originally derogatory, the term "nerd" was a stereotype, but as with other pejoratives, it has been reclaimed and redefined by some as a term of pride and group identity.

Etymology

The first documented appearance of the word nerd is as the name of a creature in Dr. Seuss's book If I Ran the Zoo (1950), in which the narrator Gerald McGrew claims that he would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too" for his imaginary zoo. The slang meaning of the term dates to 1951. That year, Newsweek magazine reported on its popular use as a synonym for drip or square in Detroit, Michigan. By the early 1960s, usage of the term had spread throughout the United States, and even as far as Scotland. At some point, the word took on connotations of bookishness and social ineptitude.

An alternate spelling, as nurd or gnurd, also began to appear in the mid-1960s, or early 1970s. Author Philip K. Dick claimed to have coined the "nurd" spelling in 1973, but its first recorded use appeared in a 1965 student publication at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). Oral tradition there holds that the word is derived from knurd (drunk spelled backwards), which was used to describe people who studied rather than partied. The term gnurd (spelled with the "g") was in use at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) by the year 1965. The term "nurd" was also in use at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as early as 1971.

According to Online Etymology Dictionary, the word is an alteration of the 1940s term "nert" (meaning "stupid or crazy person"), which is in itself an alteration of "nut" (nutcase).

The term was popularized in the 1970s by its heavy use in the sitcom Happy Days.

Culture

Stereotype

Because of the nerd stereotype, many intelligent people are often thought of as nerdy. This belief can be harmful, as it can cause high-school students to "switch off their lights" out of fear of being branded as a nerd, and cause otherwise appealing people to be considered nerdy simply for their intellect. It was once thought that intellectuals were nerdy because they were envied. However, Paul Graham stated in his essay, "Why Nerds are Unpopular", that intellect is neutral, meaning that you are neither loved nor despised for it. He also states that it is only the correlation that makes smart teens automatically seem nerdy, and that a nerd is someone that is not socially adept enough. Additionally, he says that the reason why many smart kids are unpopular is that they "don't have time for the activities required for popularity."

Stereotypical nerd appearance, often lampooned in caricatures, can include very large glasses, dental braces, buck teeth, severe acne and pants worn high at the waist. Following suit of popular use in emoticons, Unicode released in 2015 its "Nerd Face" character, featuring some of those stereotypes: 🤓 (code point U+1F913). In the media, many nerds are males, portrayed as being physically unfit, either overweight or skinny due to lack of physical exercise. It has been suggested by some, such as linguist Mary Bucholtz, that being a nerd may be a state of being "hyperwhite" and rejecting African-American culture and slang that "cool" white children use. However, after the Revenge of the Nerds movie franchise (with multicultural nerds), and the introduction of the Steve Urkel character on the television series Family Matters, nerds have been seen in all races and colors as well as more recently being a frequent young East Asian or Indian male stereotype in North America. Portrayal of "nerd girls", in films such as She's Out of Control, Welcome to the Dollhouse and She's All That depicts that smart but nerdy women might suffer later in life if they do not focus on improving their physical attractiveness.

In the United States, a 2010 study published in the Journal of International and Intercultural Communication indicated that Asian Americans are perceived as most likely to be nerds, followed by White Americans, while non-White Hispanics and African Americans were perceived as least likely to be nerds. These stereotypes stem from concepts of Orientalism and Primitivism, as discussed in Ron Eglash's essay "Race, Sex, and Nerds: From Black Geeks to Asian American Hipsters".

Some of the stereotypical behaviors associated with the "nerd" stereotype have correlations with the traits of Asperger syndrome or other autism spectrum conditions.

Pride

The rise of Silicon Valley and the American computer industry at large has allowed many so-called "nerdy people" to accumulate large fortunes and influence media culture. Many stereotypically nerdy interests, such as superhero, fantasy and science fiction works, are now international popular culture hits. Some measures of nerdiness are now allegedly considered desirable, as, to some, it suggests a person who is intelligent, respectful, interesting, and able to earn a large salary. Stereotypical nerd qualities are evolving, going from awkwardness and social ostracism to an allegedly more widespread acceptance and sometimes even celebration of their differences.

Johannes Grenzfurthner, researcher, self-proclaimed nerd and director of nerd documentary Traceroute, reflects on the emergence of nerds and nerd culture:

I think that the figure of the nerd provides a beautiful template for analyzing the transformation of the disciplinary society into the control society. The nerd, in his cliche form, first stepped out upon the world stage in the mid-1970s, when we were beginning to hear the first rumblings of what would become the Cambrian explosion of the information society. The nerd must serve as comic relief for the future-anxieties of Western society. ...The germ cell of burgeoning nerdism is difference. The yearning to be understood, to find opportunities to share experiences, to not be left alone with one's bizarre interest. At the same time one derives an almost perverse pleasure from wallowing in this deficit. Nerds love deficiency: that of the other, but also their own. Nerds are eager explorers, who enjoy measuring themselves against one another and also compete aggressively. And yet the nerd's existence also comprises an element of the occult, of mystery. The way in which this power is expressed or focused is very important.

— Johannes Grenzfurthner, interviewed by Thomas Kaestle, Boing Boing, 14 April 2016

In the 1984 film Revenge of the Nerds, Robert Carradine worked to embody the nerd stereotype; in doing so, he helped create a definitive image of nerds. Additionally, the storyline presaged, and may have helped inspire, the "nerd pride" that emerged in the late 1990s. American Splendor regular Toby Radloff claims this was the movie that inspired him to become "The Genuine Nerd from Cleveland, Ohio." In the American Splendor film, Toby's friend, American Splendor author Harvey Pekar, was less receptive to the movie, believing it to be hopelessly idealistic, explaining that Toby, an adult low income file clerk, had nothing in common with the middle class kids in the film who would eventually attain college degrees, success, and cease being perceived as nerds. Many, however, seem to share Radloff's view, as "nerd pride" has become more widespread in the years since. MIT professor Gerald Sussman, for example, seeks to instill pride in nerds:

My idea is to present an image to children that it is good to be intellectual, and not to care about the peer pressures to be anti-intellectual. I want every child to turn into a nerd – where that means someone who prefers studying and learning to competing for social dominance, which can unfortunately cause the downward spiral into social rejection.

— Gerald Sussman, quoted by Katie Hafner, The New York Times, 29 August 1993

Bullying

Individuals who are labeled as "nerds" are often the target of bullying due to a range of reasons that may include physical appearance or social background. Paul Graham has suggested that the reason nerds are frequently singled out for bullying is their indifference to popularity or social context, in the face of a youth culture that views popularity as paramount. However, research findings suggest that bullies are often as socially inept as their academically better-performing victims, and that popularity fails to confer protection from bullying. Other commentators have pointed out that pervasive harassment of intellectually-oriented youth began only in the mid-twentieth century.

In popular culture

  • White & Nerdy by "Weird Al" Yankovic, a parody of the song Ridin' by Chamillionaire, prominently features and celebrates aspects of nerd culture.
  • Slashdot uses the tagline "News for nerds. Stuff that matters." The Charles J. Sykes quote "Be nice to nerds. You may end up working for them." has been popularized on the Internet and incorrectly attributed to Bill Gates.
  • In Spain, Nerd Pride Day has been observed on May 25 since 2006, the same day as Towel Day, another somewhat nerdy holiday. The date was picked as it is the anniversary of the release of Star Wars.
  • Australian events such as Oz Comic-Con (a large comic book and cosplay convention, similar to San Diego Comic-Con) and Supernova, are incredibly popular events among the culture of people who identify themselves as nerds. In 2016, Oz Comic-Con in Perth saw almost 20,000 cosplayers and comic book fans meet to celebrate the event, hence being named a "professionally organised Woodstock for geeks".
  • Fans of the Vlogbrothers (a YouTube channel starring John and Hank Green) call themselves "nerdfighters" and refer to the fan base as a whole as "Nerdfighteria".

See also

References

  1. "Nerd | Define Nerd at Dictionary.com", "Dictionary.com, LLC" 2011, accessed May 13, 2011.
  2. nerd, n. Oxford English Dictionary online. Third edition, September 2003; online version September 2011. First included in Oxford English Dictionary second edition, 1989.
  3. ^ "Definition of NERD", Merriam-Webster, 2011, retrieved 23 November 2011
  4. DA Kinney (1993). "From nerds to normals: The recovery of identity among adolescents from middle school to high school". Sociology of Education. 66 (1): 21–40. doi:10.2307/2112783. ISSN 0038-0407. JSTOR 2112783.
  5. Tracy L. Cross (2005). "Nerds and Geeks: Society's Evolving Stereotypes of Our Students With Gifts and Talents". Social/Emotional Needs. 28 (4).
  6. ^ American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition, p. 1212, Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston – New York – London, 1992.
  7. Geisel, Theodor Seuss, If I Ran the Zoo, p. 47, Random House Books for Young Readers. New York, 1950.
  8. ^ Harper, Douglas. "nerd". Online Etymology Dictionary.
  9. Newsweek 'Jelly Tot, Square Bear-Man!' (1951-10-8), p. 28
  10. Gregory J. Marsh in Special Collections at the Swarthmore College library as reported in Humanist Discussion Group Archived 2008-01-31 at the Wayback Machine (1990-6-28) Vol. 4, No. 0235.
  11. Glasgow, Scotland, Sunday Mail (1957-02-10).
  12. The many spellings of Nurd, Fall 1970 (revised online 2015)
  13. Current Slang: A Quarterly Glossary of Slang Expressions Currently In Use (1971). Vol. V, No. 4, Spring 1971, p. 17
  14. Personal Correspondence (1973-9-4) reported on the web
  15. RPI Bachelor (1965), V14 #1
  16. More Mathematical People (D.J. Albers, J.L. Alexanderson and C. Reid), p. 105 (1990). Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich.
  17. "Johnson honors Nurd for saving Institute" (PDF), The Daily Reamer, Volume 69, No. 20, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, p. 6, 3 February 1971, archived from the original (PDF) on 22 October 2020, retrieved 14 May 2014.
  18. Fantle, David; Johnson, Tom (November 2003), ""Nerd" is the Word: Henry Winkler, August 1981", Reel to Real: 25 Years of Celebrity Interviews, Badger Books Inc., pp. 239–242
  19. Anderegg, Mr (12 January 2008). "In Praise of Nerds". The Economist.
  20. ^ Graham, Paul. "Why Nerds are Unpopular".
  21. ^ Lori Kendall. "OH NO! I'M A NERD!": Hegemonic Masculinity on an Online Forum. Gender Society. 14: 256. (2000)
  22. Ron Eglash. Race, Sex, and Nerds. Social Text. 20: 49 (2002)
  23. Benjamin Nugent (29 July 2007). "Who's a Nerd, Anyway?". The New York Times Magazine. Retrieved 28 July 2007.
  24. Gateward, Frances K.; Murray Pomerance (2002). Sugar, spice, and everything nice: cinemas of girlhood. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 978-0-8143-2918-4. Retrieved 23 July 2009.
  25. Eglash, R. 'Race, Sex, And Nerds: FROM BLACK GEEKS TO ASIAN AMERICAN HIPSTERS'. Social Text 20.2 71 (2002): 49–64. Web. 11 Dec. 2015.
  26. "High-Functioning Autism vs. Asperger Syndrome". 15 October 2013.
  27. Woyke, Elizabeth (19 September 2008). "Celebrity Nerds Come Out". Forbes. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
  28. Cringely, Robert. "Triumph of the Nerds: A History of the Computer". Public Broadcasting Service. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
  29. Kaestle, Thomas (14 April 2016). "The story of Traceroute, about a Leitnerd's quest: Johannes Grenzfurthner talks about Traceroute". Boing Boing. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  30. Singer, Jon (28 August 2005). "Carradine hits the jackpot as Lewis Skolnick". Lumino. Archived from the original on 1 January 2016.
  31. Hensley, Dennis (2 September 2003). "Revenge of the nerd: American Splendor's Toby Radloff is out and proud about his sexuality and his nerddom". The Advocate. Archived from the original on 17 November 2007. Retrieved 22 July 2007.
  32. Hafner, Katie (29 August 1993). "Woman, Computer Nerd – and Proud". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
  33. Nicholson, Christie (10 July 2010). "Bully or Victim? More Similar Than We Might Think". Scientific American (Supplemental Podcast). Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  34. Mannvi Singh (1 April 2014). "Becoming More Popular Doesn't Protect Teens From Bullying". NPR Health Shots – Health News From NPR. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  35. Evans, RJ. "A Short Illustrated History of the Nerd". Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  36. Thanks Always Returns. "The origin of nerds". Archived from the original on 7 September 2017. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  37. Williams, Justin A. (2015). The Cambridge Companion to Hip-Hop. Cambridge University Press. p. 227. ISBN 9781107037465.
  38. Mikkelson, Barbara; Mikkelson, David P. (2000). "Some Rules Kids Won't Learn in School". Retrieved 22 July 2007.
  39. Tassara-Twigg, Noemi (24 May 2010). "Celebrate Geek Pride Day 2010". Archived from the original on 21 April 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
  40. Price, Matthew (25 May 2010). "Happy Geek/Nerd Pride Day!". NewsOK.com. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
  41. Helmenstine, Anne Marie (25 May 2012). "Happy Geek Pride Day!". About.com. Archived from the original on 21 April 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
  42. "Fantasy fans to flock Perth Oz Comic-Con spectacle". ABC News. 1 April 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  43. "A Note on Nerdfighters". The New Yorker. 13 March 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2020.

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