What is the difference between Nerds and Geeks?

[Baby Gary]

What is it? I have no idea and I want to know so I can figure out which one I am. Anyway get to duking it out to see what are they

-Baby Gary

P.S. Is Duking it out an actual saying or just something I made up?

[Lvl 2 Expert]

1 It's an actual term.

2 Nerds are better.





(I think in American English nerds are often more associated with succesful tech companies while geeks are the fun nerds. There have been some studies on correlating search results for associated terms. I myself prefer nerds for that last group as well, just nerding it up, being nerdy.)

[Jormengand]

Both are loaded terms with vast variance in meaning between individual users of the world with no meaning beyond a particular set of stereotypes.

[Khedrac]

The expression "Duking it out" refers to "fisticuffs" or boxing, I have no idea why though.

As I understand it, a "Geek" is a technical expert in a field, usully technological. My brother has been known to call himself a "geek".

A "Nerd" is harder to define - I think it relates of social awkwardness, usually coupled with a high technical IQ (as in smart at technical things).

[2D8HP]

"Geek" is a newer term, "Nerd" is older.

Sorta of like how now "mosh-pit" is used when earlier it was a "slam" or "thrash" pit, and how "Goth" replaced "Death-Rocker".

Incidentally the slur de jure in the early 1980's was "Devo" (after the band), used by the same sorts of jerks (usually from out of town) who'd yell "nerd", "freak", "queer", "punker", "hippie", etc, etc, may they be tortured in the abyss!

[rooster707]

[Aliquid]

That's the first thing that came to mind for me too.

Back in my day... when computers were a new fangled thing, the difference was as follows:

• Nerd - a socially awkward person who spends all his/her spare time with academics. Typically doesn't even try to be social with anyone other than fellow nerds.
• Geek - a socially awkward person who spends all his/her spare time with a "not cool" hobby/pastime (model trains, watching star trek, D&D, etc). Often tries to be social but fails.

I once heard a quote "A geek & a nerd were invited to a college party. The nerd stayed home to study. The geek came to the party and got a wedgie"

[LordEntrails]

Did you even try this?

[Tvtyrant]

Ny understanding is that both terms refer amorphously to several subcultures that were not "cool" in previous decades and have now been appropriated. Dorks and Dweebs are other terms used this way, refering to TCG Card game players, anime lovers, tabletop gamers and other categories of harmless fringe groups.

If not percieved as harmless they become punks, goths, hoodlums, etc.

[PopeLinus1]

A Nerd is someone who gets angry if they are called a geek.

A Geek is someone who gets angry if they are called a Nerd.

[Velaryon]

A Nerd is someone who gets angry if they are called a geek.

A Geek is someone who gets angry if they are called a Nerd.

This is my favorite answer so far.

Regardless of prior use, the words are pretty much interchangeable now, and it's down to personal preference which one people prefer to be called. I personally prefer nerd over geek, but I don't get bent out of shape if people use the "wrong" word.

Once upon a time, geek referred primarily to a carnival performer who did disgusting things like bite the heads off chickens (this is still the first definition listed in Merriam-Webster's dictionary), but these days people don't really do that so that definition is kind of a relic.

[jmelesky]

Someone did some research on word use on this exact question, using statistical language analysis. The link has a nice chart, too.

[A.A.King]

One refers to annoying people, the other refers to super annoying people.

If there is a difference (and if that difference actually matters) I always see the nerd as the 90s sitcom version: The glasses book-smarts guy who likes nothing more than studying/being with his head in book. Geek on the other hand would simply be somebody who is obsessed with something, devoting a good chuck of their personality to that particular something. In my world a geek is someone who, when asked to describe themselves, would use to annoying nouns that mean 'fan of X' like 'trekkie' or 'belieber'. People usually associate geek more with the former than the later but I think that's simply because it was socially less acceptable to fill your rooms with Star Trek posters than it was to fill it with Sports posters or Band Posters (whereas in my word view all three are equal and the only acceptable thing to fill your room with is posters of sexy ladies on cars, obviously).

[Red Fel]

To be fair, the concept of geekdom has expanded beyond computers or sci-fi. I've met music geeks, investment geeks, even sport geeks - self-proclaimed, of course. The commonality seems to be that a "geek" is a person with an interest in a particular field or area. Hence how you can have an anime geek who knows precisely who makes the best "waifu" and why; a theater geek who can tell you exactly why Sondheim's musicals are the best musicals; a sports geek who will tell you everything wrong with the Bengals' opening lineup; and so forth.

By contrast, the concept of "nerd" really hasn't changed at all that I know of. It still refers to those socially awkward academic types. The terms measure two different things. Which suggests that a geek could be a nerd, or vice-versa.

[Errata]

Nerds are academically smart, possibly too smart, to the exclusion of a social life, physical fitness, or other practical concerns.
Geeks are enthusiasts, often with regard to non-mainstream topics, but possibly about mainstream topics if they are unusually obsessive about them.
It's entirely possible to be both, or just one but not the other.

The meanings have shifted a lot in the past couple of decades. Virtually everyone uses some form of computer or equivalent device today, which was very much not the case a generation ago. Many works of fantasy and science-fiction have been fully absorbed into mainstream culture. Skill with technology is now the most common way of becoming wealthy, while there are fewer and worse jobs each year for people who don't make an effort to do well in school. The cultural landscape isn't what it was when these terms emerged.

[Scarlet Knight]

My favorite Venn diagram for the question:

[An Enemy Spy]

I see "nerd" as a measure of how obsessed you are with something, and "geek" with how enthusiastic you are about something. A nerd will know the writing credits of every episode of Star Trek and a geek will own a full set of Starfleet uniforms.

[Baby Gary]

The reason why I asked in the first place is because I wondered which I am. I still don't really know which I am. Can you guys help me figure that out?

I'm rather smart if I do say so my self, 90th of 95th percentile on the ACT in 9th grade. (not going to say later years)
I do a good amount of physical activities, swimming, rock climbing, fencing, and general exercising
I play D&D, that's why I came to this forum in the first place.
I have a a decent amount of friends and I am on good terms with almost everyone at my school, and I like to think that I can make friends relatively well.
Love science (especially physics) and computers, even though I don't know that much about computers, yet.
I play video games, and I love it.

Given that info would you say I am Nerd, Geek , or something else entirely? Thanks!

[Errata]

Given that info would you say I am Nerd, Geek , or something else entirely? Thanks!

Probably both, mostly a geek. Everyone on this forum is automatically a geek. Whether you play D&D or just read a web comic about it, either way, it's well outside of mainstream interests. You're apparently smart and like STEM academics, which makes you at least a bit of a nerd, but perhaps not much of one if you are athletic and popular, as you claim. However, the whole dichotomy between academics and other things is somewhat outdated and becoming decreasingly applicable as the world changes and our ideas of what are socially acceptable behavior drift. Nerds basically won, so it's not the badge of shame that it was when the term was first used to describe people who are into things that everyone is into now.

[Bohandas]

"Geek" is a newer term,

New in this usage at any rate. It originally referred to circus performers who bit the heads off animals.

[AuthorGirl]

"A nerd is someone who knows a lot of weird or specialized stuff, a geek is someone with a passion for something, and a dork is someone who cares about the difference."

That's according to one of my friends. Makes me all three!

[sktarq]

That's according to one of my friends. Makes me all three!

Can't be, you have at least one friend.

[AuthorGirl]

Can't be, you have at least one friend.

He's from my D&D group. Those friends make me more geeky, nerdy, and dorky.

[Scarlet Knight]

The reason why I asked in the first place is because I wondered which I am. I still don't really know which I am. Can you guys help me figure that out?

I'm rather smart if I do say so my self, 90th of 95th percentile on the ACT in 9th grade. (not going to say later years)
I do a good amount of physical activities, swimming, rock climbing, fencing, and general exercising
I play D&D, that's why I came to this forum in the first place.
I have a a decent amount of friends and I am on good terms with almost everyone at my school, and I like to think that I can make friends relatively well.
Love science (especially physics) and computers, even though I don't know that much about computers, yet.
I play video games, and I love it.

Given that info would you say I am Nerd, Geek , or something else entirely? Thanks!

You are none of the above. You are physically fit and popular. That disqualifies you for any of the terms. Liking video games and being smart are not enough.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

And then there's alpha nerds, nerdy enough to tell other people they can't join the club. They're often found talking about fake geek girls.

[Darth Ultron]

Given that info would you say I am Nerd, Geek , or something else entirely? Thanks!

You are a Geek.

A Nerd is very intelligent, but not smart and most of all they are not social by normal standards.

A Geek is smart, but not overly intelligent and they are socially normal.

From some TV shows:

Nerds-Sheldon Cooper, Raj Koothrappali, Amy Farrah Fowler, Stuart Bloom, Steve Urkel, Samuel "Screech" Powers, Malcon Reed, Alex Dunphy, Claudia Donovan, Dexter Morgan, Jemma Simmons, Leo Fitz, Dr. Maura Isles, Root(Samantha Groves)

Geeks-Leonard Hofstadter, Howard Wolowitz, Bernadette Rostenkowski, Ross Geller, Jonathan Michael "J.D." Dorian, Chuck Bartowski, Felicity Smoak, Caitlin Snow, Rosalee Calvert, Lucy Preston

Nerds tend to be loners and only associate with other nerds. They don't care much about their own looks/fashion/what is popular...but generally stay in conservative clothing. They have little or no social skills...and this will be crazy obvious.

Geeks are social and can be really anyone....as you might not even know a person is a geek just by meeting them or knowing them casually. They do care about looks...a bit...but often have their own sense of fashion. They generally have at least ''average'' social skills, equal to most people.

There is a bit of overlap as both groups like the same things: like science, computers, and rpgs, but they don't like them in all the same ways: the Nerds go for more of the math/technical side(writing computer code, for example) and the Geek goes for more the creative side(digital art, for example).

And if you think there is a conspiracy (Like say Rittenhouse or Alien Overloards or Matrix Robots) of Old White(only) Guys that Rule the World(somehow?), then ''they'' have decided that Geeks are a bit more socially acceptable in 2018 (assuming they exist and assuming we all have to follow what they say anyway) to the ''public''. A geeky Star wars fan, in 2018, is cool(at least a lesser cool) and not a bad thing(again, assuming they can tell us such things anyway) as after all Old White Conspiracy has some Star Wars fans in it (and they can't be a fan of something uncool, right? So again, assuming they can tell us things, they tell us geeks are cool).

[Tvtyrant]

And then there's alpha nerds, nerdy enough to tell other people they can't join the club. They're often found talking about fake geek girls.

I highly doubt that is why that is happening. Seems mich more likely that they have aocial issues and buikt a community that is more tolerant of social ineptitude then regular society, and so become maeginalized within their own activities as they are endorsed more generally.

For instance I was friends with many individuals who had difficulty with hygene or grooming, but were accepted within our larger nerd group because we had a policy of social tolerance. Say a bunch of cool kids jpined the group to play Starcraft with us. They are offended by the odors and visually disgusting practices of my cohort, so the grosser members begin to be invited less or become harassed by remarks about their behavior. Now they resent the newcomers, who have coopted their activities while marginalizing members of the original group.

I am not saying other people shouldn't take over. For the more normal participants and any companies involved replacing social outcasts with a more adjusted population is an improvement, but the outlier group is reasonable in being angry and trying to head it off.

[Kantaki]

A Nerd is someone who gets angry if they are called a geek.

A Geek is someone who gets angry if they are called a Nerd.

And someone who gets angry at both?

[Baby Gary]

You are none of the above. You are physically fit and popular. That disqualifies you for any of the terms. Liking video games and being smart are not enough.

I wouldn't say popular, more like not socially awkward. And physically fit? you should put that joke in my joke thread, thats better than like half of the ones there. Its more like trying, but kinda failing, to be physically fit.

[Baby Gary]

You are a Geek.

A Nerd is very intelligent, but not smart and most of all they are not social by normal standards.

A Geek is smart, but not overly intelligent and they are socially normal.

From some TV shows:

Nerds-Sheldon Cooper, Raj Koothrappali, Amy Farrah Fowler, Stuart Bloom, Steve Urkel, Samuel "Screech" Powers, Malcon Reed, Alex Dunphy, Claudia Donovan, Dexter Morgan, Jemma Simmons, Leo Fitz, Dr. Maura Isles, Root(Samantha Groves)

Geeks-Leonard Hofstadter, Howard Wolowitz, Bernadette Rostenkowski, Ross Geller, Jonathan Michael "J.D." Dorian, Chuck Bartowski, Felicity Smoak, Caitlin Snow, Rosalee Calvert, Lucy Preston

Nerds tend to be loners and only associate with other nerds. They don't care much about their own looks/fashion/what is popular...but generally stay in conservative clothing. They have little or no social skills...and this will be crazy obvious.

Geeks are social and can be really anyone....as you might not even know a person is a geek just by meeting them or knowing them casually. They do care about looks...a bit...but often have their own sense of fashion. They generally have at least ''average'' social skills, equal to most people.

There is a bit of overlap as both groups like the same things: like science, computers, and rpgs, but they don't like them in all the same ways: the Nerds go for more of the math/technical side(writing computer code, for example) and the Geek goes for more the creative side(digital art, for example).

And if you think there is a conspiracy (Like say Rittenhouse or Alien Overloards or Matrix Robots) of Old White(only) Guys that Rule the World(somehow?), then ''they'' have decided that Geeks are a bit more socially acceptable in 2018 (assuming they exist and assuming we all have to follow what they say anyway) to the ''public''. A geeky Star wars fan, in 2018, is cool(at least a lesser cool) and not a bad thing(again, assuming they can tell us such things anyway) as after all Old White Conspiracy has some Star Wars fans in it (and they can't be a fan of something uncool, right? So again, assuming they can tell us things, they tell us geeks are cool).

About what you say nerds do. Well, I mainly hang out with other people that could be nerds, or just the other smart kids. I can't really handle idiots at times, they drive me insane. And for how I dress? I don't know what is "in" fashion or not. I just tend to grab whatever is closest in my closet. Also I am a loner, I don't need anyone else to do anything, I am rather self sufficient and can get annoyed with other people easily.

Now geeks. I do have some social skills, I just never use them. I can talk to strangers or people that I know in a non awkward way (but who says I talk to people? I just do this stuff all day, or so it seem). I guess you could say I have my own style, jeans and a t-shirt or a casual button up shirt. However I do look amazing in a suit if I do say so.

Time for that overlap (does that sound weird?). I am really into science and math, also computers, but not so much. I do love a good (good mind you) RPG to pass the time, ahh, so fun. Back to the topic. I tend to try to find the most optimal way (using mainly math) to do stuff in video games, and sometimes IRL. I also love physics and math, those are my best subjects and my favorite. I haven't learned about coding, but I am thinking about taking a class rather soon. I guess I can be rather creative though, usually to find a work around to something I don't like.

so by your standard I am somewhere in between a nerd and a geek. I don't know most of the people that you referenced, I don't watch a ton of TV, but I know who Jemma Simmons and Leo Zitz are. I would say that my social skills are similar to theirs. Not exceptional, but defiantly good enough to make due.