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The word geek is a slang term, noting individuals as "a peculiar or otherwise odd person, especially one who is perceived to be overly obsessed with one or more things including those of intellectuality, electronics, gaming, etc."^[1] 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 American Heritage Dictionary included only the definition regarding geek shows. Wiktionary (a portmanteau of wiki and dictionary) is a multilingual, Web-based project to create a free content dictionary, available in over 151 languages. ... For other uses, see Slang (disambiguation). ... The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (AHD) is a dictionary of American English published by Boston publisher Houghton-Mifflin, the first edition of which appeared in 1969. ... Geek Shows were an act in traveling circuses of early America and were often part of a larger sideshow. ...

This word comes from English dialect geek, geck: fool, freak; from Low German geck, from Middle Low German. The root geck still survives in Dutch gek: crazy, and in the Alsatian word Gickeleshut: geek's hat, used in carnivals^[2]. This article describes the modern definition of freak. For the older meaning, see freak show. ... ElsaÃŸ redirects here. ...

1 Definitions
- 1.1 Reclaiming and self-identification
2 Geeks in popular culture
3 References
4 See also
5 External links

Definitions

The definition of geek has changed considerably over time, and there is no longer a definitive meaning. The terms nerd and dork 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 The Colbert Report, Richard Clarke said the difference between nerds and geeks is "geeks get it done".^[3] 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".^[4] For other uses, see Nerd (disambiguation). ... The Colbert Report (â€”the Ts are silent in Colbert and Report) is an American satirical television program that airs from 11:30 p. ... Richard A. Clarke (born 1951) provided national security advice to four U.S. presidents: Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, consulting on issues of intelligence and terrorism, from 1973 to 2003. ...

Other definitions include:

A person who is interested in technology, especially computing and new media. Geeks are adept with computers, and treat the term hacker 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 multivariate calculus 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 passionately 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 physics geeks, mathematics geeks, engineering geeks, sci-fi geeks, computer geeks, various science geeks, movie and film geeks (cinephile), comic book geeks, theatre geeks, history geeks, music geeks, art geeks, philosophy geeks, literature geeks, and roleplay geeks. By the mid 20th century humans had achieved a mastery of technology sufficient to leave the surface of the Earth for the first time and explore space. ... For the formal concept of computation, see computation. ... // Until the 1980s media relied primarily upon print and analog broadcast models, such as those of television and radio. ... This article is about computer hacking. ... Multivariate calculus is a means of analyzing deterministic systems with multiple degrees of freedom. ... A magnet levitating above a high-temperature superconductor demonstrates the Meissner effect. ... For other meanings of mathematics or uses of math and maths, see Mathematics (disambiguation) and Math (disambiguation). ... Engineering is the discipline and profession of applying scientific knowledge and utilizing natural laws and physical resources in order to design and implement materials, structures, machines, devices, systems, and processes that realize a desired objective and meet specified criteria. ... Sci-fi is an abbreviation for science fiction. ... This article is about the machine. ... A magnet levitating above a high-temperature superconductor demonstrates the Meissner effect. ... For other uses see film (disambiguation) Film refers to the celluliod media on which movies are printed Film — also called movies, the cinema, the silver screen, moving pictures, photoplays, picture shows, flicks, or motion pictures, — is a field that encompasses motion pictures as an art form or as part of... This article is about motion pictures. ... Cinephile is a trip-hop band famous for the song What Becomes of Us, which was played during an episode of CSI. Other standout songs include Comatose and Urban Angel. ... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... Serge Sudeikins poster for the Bat Theatre (1922). ... For other uses, see History (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Music (disambiguation). ... This article is about the philosophical concept of Art. ... For other uses, see Philosophy (disambiguation). ... This article is about (usually written) works. ... In role-playing, participants adopt characters, or parts, that have personalities, motivations, and backgrounds different from their own. ...

Also there is the term "retro geek" which is someone who is not obsessed with retro stuff but has retro stuff and knows about it.

Reclaiming and self-identification

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. Nerd Pride Day has been observed on May 25 in Spain since 2006. The holiday promotes the right to be nerdy or geeky, and to express it in public without shame. A new convention, Geek.Kon, has sprung up in Madison, Wisconsin with a purpose to celebrate all things geek. The website BoardGameGeek 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 Geek Squad 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 geek humor and obscure references on T-shirts. The so-called geek chic 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. Nerd Pride Day, or Geek Pride Day, is an initiative which claims the right of every person to be a nerd or a geek. ... is the 145th day of the year (146th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Screenshot of the BoardGameGeek entry for Settlers of Catan. ... Geek Squad logo The Geek Squad is a subsidiary of the Best Buy Company and is based in Richfield, Minnesota [1]. Originally founded in 1994 by Robert Stephens, the company offers various computer-related services and accessories for residential and commercial clients. ... Computer related humor is a branch of humor that nerds and geeks might find amusing but other people might not understand. ... Stephanie Pakrul, or StephTheGeek, a blogger. ...

Geeks in popular culture

In 2005 and 2006, the former WB Television Network (now The CW) ran a reality game show called Beauty and the Geek, where "geeks" try to share their knowledge with "beauties" while trying to learn a modern style from them. The show is currently in its fifth season.
Comedy Central ran a game show named Beat the Geeks from 2001 to 2002. It featured contestants competing against a movie geek, television geek, and a music geek, along with a special fourth geek. The fourth geek would have a certain area of expertise such as Star Wars, The Simpsons, horror, Star Trek, and comic books.
The IT Crowd, produced by Channel 4, focuses on the shenanigans of a three-person IT 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 Freaks and Geeks 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.
Planet Nerd is a variety show for and about nerds and geeks.
Nerdapalooza is a planned geek music festival.
Geek Monthly is a recently launched lifestyle magazine, to be published six times a year in the United States of America by CFQ Media. The magazine is positioned in the marketplace as a more "fanboy" version of established magazines such as Wired and EW as well as the discontinued Gear. The first issue featured Rainn Wilson on the cover in a James Bond pose, whilst features included that of Sci-Fi, Lifestyle and Woody Allen.
The TV show The Big Bang Theory on CBS 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 caricature of the geek/nerd stereotype, and mainly as physics geeks (with references to laboratory work, lasers, and academia). There is a dispute over if they are nerds, geeks, or both.
The William Lindsay Gresham novel Nightmare Alley filmed with Tyrone Power begins and ends with a carnival geek.
Robert Lanham, author of 'The Hipster Handbook' -- see chapter on "The Loner" -- a.k.a "The Garofalo" in Playboy -- as in Janeane Garofalo -- & 'Food Court Druids, Cherohonkees & Other Creatures Unique to the Republic')

The WB Television Network, casually referred to as The WB, or sometimes as The Frog (referring to the networks former mascot, the animated character Michigan J. Frog), is a television network in the United States, founded as a joint venture between the Warner Bros. ... The Crimson White, known colloquially as The CW, is the student-run newspaper of the University of Alabama. ... For the UK version of the show, see Beauty and the Geek (UK TV series). ... Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel in the United States. ... Beat the Geeks was a comedy game show which aired on Comedy Central in the United States from 2001 to 2002. ... For other uses see film (disambiguation) Film refers to the celluliod media on which movies are printed Film — also called movies, the cinema, the silver screen, moving pictures, photoplays, picture shows, flicks, or motion pictures, — is a field that encompasses motion pictures as an art form or as part of... For other uses, see Music (disambiguation). ... This article is about the series. ... Simpsons redirects here. ... Horror Movie redirects here. ... This article is about the entire Star Trek franchise. ... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... The IT Crowd (pronounced or )[1][2] is a British sitcom written by Irish director Graham Linehan and produced by Ash Atalla for Channel 4. ... This article is about the British television station. ... Information and communication technology spending in 2005 Information Technology (IT), as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), is the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware. ... Freaks and Geeks is an American television series, created by Paul Feig and produced by Judd Apatow, that aired on NBC during the 1999â€“2000 TV season. ... Planet Nerd is a television show broadcast on Channel 31 Melbourne starring Dan Walmsley, Paul Verhoeven, Ben McKenzie, Simon Barber, Jason English-Rees, Andrew Doodson, Lou Pardi, Rob Lloyd and others. ... The subject of this article may not satisfy the notability guideline. ... Motto: (traditional) In God We Trust (official, 1956â€“present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at the federal level; English de facto Government Federal Republic - President George W. Bush (R) - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence - Declared - Recognized... Fanboy is a term used to describe an individual (usually male, though the feminine version fangirl may be used for females) who is utterly devoted to a single fannish subject, or to a single point of view within that subject, often to the point where it is considered an obsession. ... Wired is a full-color monthly American magazine and on-line periodical published in San Francisco, California since March 1993. ... Electronic warfare (EW) includes, but is not limited to, the following: Electronic countermeasures (ECM) This is the active use of the electromagnetic spectrum to deny its use by an adversary. ... Fear was an English language mens magazine published by Bob Guccione, Jr. ... Rainn Dietrich Wilson (born January 20, 1966[2]) is an Emmy-nominated and three-time Screen Actors Guild Award-winning American actor. ... This article is about the spy series. ... Sci-fi is an abbreviation for science fiction. ... Woody Allen (born Allen Stewart Konigsberg; December 1, 1935) is a three-time Academy Award-winning American film director, writer, actor, jazz musician, comedian and playwright. ... For the cosmological model, see Big Bang. ... This article is about the broadcast network. ... For the book of comics by Daniel Clowes, see Caricature (Daniel Clowes collection). ... For other uses, see Stereotype (disambiguation). ... A magnet levitating above a high-temperature superconductor demonstrates the Meissner effect. ... For alternative meanings see laser (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Nerd (disambiguation). ... William Lindsay Gresham. ... Nightmare Alley is a novel by William Lindsay Gresham. ... Tyrone Edmund Power, Jr. ... Robert Lanham is the author of the satiric books The Hipster Handbook and Food Court Druids, Cherohonkees and Other Creatures Unique to the Republic. ...

References

^ Dictionary: Geek. Dictionary.com-Merriam-Webster entry. Retrieved on 2007-10-12.
^ French Wikipedia Geek Article
^ The Colbert Report - 2007 Archive - 1/17/07 - Television - SPIKE Powered By IFILM
^ Reconstruction 6.1 (Winter 2006)

Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 285th day of the year (286th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

The Geek Test
Geek Culture: The Third Counter-Culture, an article discussing geek culture as a new kind of counter-culture.

Categories: Subcultures | Slang expressions | Heroic stock characters

Hidden category: Articles with limited geographic scope

Results from FactBites:

Geek - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (1103 words)
	Geek may not always have the same meaning as the term nerd (see nerd for a discussion of the disputed relation between the terms).
	Geeks usually have a strong case of neophilia.
	Most geeks are adept with computers and treat hacker as a term of respect, but not all are hackers themselves - and some who are in fact hackers normally call themselves geeks anyway, because they (quite properly) regard 'hacker' as a label that should be bestowed by others rather than self-assumed.

More results at FactBites »

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