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NPR
@npr.org

Nerd has been part of our lexicon for three-quarters of a century, its geeky meaning embodied by some of the most recognizable characters in film and TV, but its origin story is a bit murky. n.pr/45qxP5h

n.prNerd! How the word popularized by Dr. Seuss went from geeky insult to mainstreamNerd has been part of our lexicon for three-quarters of a century, its geeky meaning embodied by some of the most recognizable characters in film and TV, but its origin story is a bit murky.

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Duane Morin
@shakespearegeek.bsky.social

I always preferred "geek". Nerd, if you're a child of the 80s, never truly escaped the "adhesive tape on the glasses and pocket protector" stereotype and the "we're the only ones who are good at computers" thing.

Duane Morin
@shakespearegeek.bsky.social

Exactly. 1980s movie but a very 70s depiction of nerds that became rooted in our minds. Meanwhile movies like Hackers, Wargames and Weird Science came a lot closer to what the "smart kids" were doing with their free time.

Mike
@banditdekard.bsky.social

My grand theory is that "nerds" are bad and "geeks" are good Musk-nerd Zuckerberg-nerd Steven Miller-nerd Linus Torvalds-geek Bill Nye-geek Mr. Wizard-geek Normalize bullying nerds and supporting geeks