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A Short Illustrated History of the Nerd
Where did the nerd originate, both as a word an individual and, possibly, a species? What were the original societal perceptions of the nerd? How have these changed over the decades? Enter the world of the nerd and discover for yourself this fascinating and light hearted illustrated history of the origin of the species. Darwin, eat your heart out.
One Last Jobs
First we need to address the very term “nerd”. What exactly is it? We know that it usually has derogatory connotations (though that may be changing, see “Nerd Pride” below). Usually a nerd was someone whose life passions were not shared by the majority of the population. Their heroes were not shared by the ubiquitous “man in the street” (who would simply not get the joke in the picture above). In fact most people traditionally saw the interests of a nerd as strange and somewhat weird. However, with the advent of the internet, nerds have increased in number exponentially. The nerd herd has arrived.
Drag and Drop
Often at High School nerds were partly classified by their disinterest in sport and their acquisition of knowledge considered intellectual and somewhat esoteric by other student (who usually didn’t know what esoteric and intellectual mean, but hey). Rather than engaging in social activities the nerd could often be a loner. Occasionally they were lucky enough to meet others of their genus - Nerdus Sapiens - and were allowed to take over a table in the cafeteria. This was not, as some would think, an attempt by the majority to include the small nerd herd. Rather, it was a form of deliberate and insidious social exclusion.
Disrespect to Nerds
As such nerds were often considered outcasts by “normal” members of society and the term, when used, was an insult. Such was the ferocity of public opinion against the nerd that slights against the herd were, for example, casually used as cheap marketing ploys (see above). Replace the word with a derogatory label based on gender, color or religion and you can see just how offensive the above advertisement truly was.
Nerd Sex
Nerds had therefore to cultivate their own language (see above) which could be understood only by other members of the herd. A rebuse interpretation of the above would be “As you get to the University of Chicago, the amount of sex expected approaches zero.” If you failed to snigger at that or had to wait for the “translation” then you probably do not fit in to the nerd category. Many people would not accept the truth that nerds did, in fact, engage in the Wild Thing and until recently the nerd was often regarded as something as if not more virginal than a certain icon of Christianity.
The Nerd of July
Nerds celebrate occasions just like any other substrata of society. They do make a special effort to make it their own, of course, but can often be misled and occasionally ignorant of the history of their own kind. To trace the origins of the word we must pay homage to that wordsmith of wordsmiths, Dr Seuss. His 1950 masterpiece “If I Ran the Zoo” contains the first printed instance of the word. Gerald McGrew, the narrator, maintains he would collect “a Nerkle, a Nerd and a Seersucker too” to be housed in his imaginary zoo. That was way back in 1950. As such, “If I Ran the Zoo” can be seen as the Holy Book of Nerd-dom.
The Nerd Bathroom
It is of little surprise that most nerds are unaware of their own history. After all, their obsessive behavior is such that they have been know to adapt rooms in their domiciles in order to pursue interests that many would find unusual or even unsettling (see above). Dr Seuss had no idea what he had started and soon the word spread to wider (adult) society.
Nerd Army
This was the beginning of the appearance of the nerd as a specific genus. It is strange that perhaps there had been no previous discovery of the word (though there was “bluestocking” for the female of the species way back in the eighteenth century). However, in 1951, Newsweek magazine pointed out the widespread use of the word in Michigan in the country known as the United States of America. The Army of Nerd was beginning to burgeon.
Nature or Nurture?
The debate still rages as to whether nerds are born or are, rather, the result of some aspect of their upbringing. Many illiterates have produced nerd offspring and are unable to pinpoint what happened to make their child a nerd. Some blame themselves and they often create support groups in places such as New York and San Francisco. That is leaping forward a little in time, however. By the early years of the 60s, the term had gone viral and appeared throughout the USA in television, radio and other media. The word was reported in far away places such as Scotland (where people have red hair and strange accents). Globalization of the brand was not far off.
Nerd Pride
Nerd Pride was not yet born, however. It would not be until the late 1980s that Pride and Power would become part of the nerd lexicon and it would be the new century before it was formally celebrated. Back in the 60s the term still meant something ever so slightly different. The nerd had yet to step, like a shy and nervous gazelle, in to the full light of societal inspection. Instead, the word simply meant someone who was dull. Other synonyms at the time would include “drip” or “square”. Man.
Nerd Day Cake
It was the decade of the seventies, one of grace, delicacy and high culture, where the word truly came of age. The decade that gave us The Osmond Phenomenon, Wonder Woman on TV and Gerald Ford as President also brought the word nerd to maturity. Social ineptitude, overt bookishness and an extreme interest in Star Trek came to embody the word. Or vice versa. It was a strange decade.
Nerds Give the Finger
For a long time, for over a decade, the term nerd was not one that anyone - even the true nerd - would wish to have thrown towards them. Nerd Pride was not even nascent and the finger of nerd was spotty, bespectacled and book-toothed. The seventies, THE decade of the stereotype, saw the TV show Happy Days popularize the term like never before, even if its use was not in a fifties fashion (the decade in which the show was set). The Fonz, played by Henry Winkler, is responsible for the misappropriation of the term. May he burn in Hell.
Motivational Poster Nerds
Nerds today should be aware, as they go about their way, of the debate that still surrounds the origin of the term. Many people claim, rightly or wrongly, that they originated it. Science Fiction author Philip K Dick claimed it as his own in 1973, even though he used the alternative spelling “nurd”. This was later discovered to be untrue, having appeared in that form as far before as 1965 in a student magazine from Troy, New York. Something of a shame for nerd culture, as only Mr Dick could possibly surpass Dr Seuss in terms of sheer kudos as “High Originator of the Term”.
Nerd Tattoo
Although never recorded on paper (an old fashioned medium for education), many maintain that the word derived from the word “drunk” spelled backwards. A “knurd” would be someone who chose to study and be conscientious in their pursuit of academic achievement rather than being a hairy beer-swilling jock (whose very presence at a seat of academic learning makes them a walking talking oxymoron). Another version of the word, “gnurd” was widespread during the early seventies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. MIT is often considered to be a kind of beacon for the global nerd diaspora, so this may well have some truth in it.
Nerd Pet
Further etymological debate abounds. Some say that the word’s origins are inextricably linked with the popular 1930s - 1950s ventriloquist Edgar Bergen. One of his dummies was called Mortimer Snerd and was a very dull witted chap. This is fairly close to the original meaning of the word however it was normally associated with boring rather than stupid. Others speculate that the word was adapted from the 1940s widespread term “nert”. This was itself born of the word “nut” and meant someone who was stupid, crazy or both. This is improbable.
Spell-It-Out Nerd
Thanks to the decade that was the seventies, the stereotypical image of the nerd was truly on the rise. In TV and film, the nerd is mostly presented as a white male (though in the UK’s “The IT Team” one is Black British) with skin problems, braces and baggy trousers and thick lensed glasses. Some linguists posited the idea of the nerd as “hyper-white” as the depiction of nerds often involved their usage of arcane and old fashioned language. This supposed rejection of African-American oral culture through something approaching linguistic fascism by the nerd herd has, as an idea, been supremely trounced by the inexorable rise of the nerd of color in the nineties and noughties. The rainbow nerd is here to stay.
Nerd Art
Typical of the nerd is their obliviousness to negative perceptions of them by others. When their interests lie in subjects that are of mystery or little interest to others, this was often translated in to disdain and a deliberate attempt to socially exclude them. This disdain has been typically turned on its head as the herd community reached critical mass in the early 1990s. As technology, mathematics and science become more pivotal each year to the survival of Homo sapiens, so the nerds have increasingly become self aware of their own importance to the continuation and constitution of society. Nerd Pride was born. The nerd is King.
Nerd Love
It would be remiss not to mention Star Trek, Star Wars, Stargate and Doctor Who here, pivotal as they are to nerd culture. They are the holy grail of nerd existence and those fully wishing to understand the herd should take time out to study these TV shows in depth. Secondary study can also be found in role-playing games, notably Dungeons and Dragons. Tertiary academic pursuit in the understanding of the nerd should, necessarily involve Comic Book 101 and Trading Cards 101. Without a full and proper knowledge of these three vital strands of their culture, the nerd can never be properly understood or appreciated.
Nerdtivity
The new century has brought with it new demands and those often best equipped to deal have been the nerds. The era of the nerd is upon us and the tenor of the age is one of celebration, almost, rather than of ostracization. This is the dawning of the age of nerd-quarius. The computer and internet have helped in this and many nerds have accumulated wealth beyond the dreams of avarice as a result. The majority of parents do not now despair if their offspring show signs of nascent nerdiness. Rather, many see the nerd as intelligent, interesting and socially acceptable. Many women see the male nerd as excellent marriage material, due as much to his genetics as his wealth. This evolution in attitudes has happened at the same time as a weakening in the societal emphasis on the negative side of nerd-dom. TV shows such as “Ugly Betty” and “Chuck” show the nerd in a positive - even sexually appealing light.
The Nerd Evolution Timeline
So, we come to the age of the nerds. Darwin versus the Bible is an irrelevance to most nerds as they believe in an alternative evolution (see above). More and more, society in general believes that it is not a bad idea, after all, to be intellectual. Kids’ TV shows often encourage young viewers no to care about the anti-intellectual peer pressure of latter day Biffs. Slashdot even has a tagline directed at the community - “News for nerds. Stuff that matters.” Incorrectly attributed to Bill Gates, the quote “Be nice to nerds. Chances are you will end up working for one” has become common currency. There is even, in Spain, a for real Nerd Pride celebration which since 2006 has been celebrated on May 25.
Nerd in ad kitchen
Of course, all this means that there are now huge amounts of people who pretend to be nerds. This can be seen in the rise of Nerdcore as a whole. However, a word of warning to the pseudo-nerd. The real deal can sniff you out as an imposter immediately. If you borrow the image, concept and culture of the nerd so you can stand out as an individual, remember that this is a contradiction in terms to the Nerd de Verity. As such you will be shunned on discovery!
So, the nerd has come a long way in the sixty or so years since the word made its first appearance. What the next sixty years holds is anyone’s guess, but it promises to be more than interesting. Where the nerd herd goes next may well determine the future progress of humanity. Only time - and the internet - will tell.
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40 Comments
Some great stuff here R J. It’s something I’ve always wondered about. Good work.
great stuff. thanks
Quiet fun. Thanks.
After this article, I am proud to admit that I am a nerd.
Very funny, Thanks.
Totally fun and interesting. I’m not a nerd by any means, at times I wish I was so I could develop my website to a point of no return.
Very nicely written, I recently posted on this same topic.
Formerlyfun’s post: In Praise of Nerds
I think the time of nerds has come, see “The Big-Bang Theory”, 10 years earlier this show would not have any succes, but nowadays it is a hit, because nerds are becoming a mayority, thank God for that.
Great article, applauses
The image ideas are cool, well put together.
Nice post! However, today’s prize for the most annoying flashing adverts go to…
must install ad blocker
Great story, RJ. I must stumble this, so that my nerdy friends over at StumbleUpon can get as much enjoyment from this experience as I did.
Keep up the good work.
God Bless,
Nelson Doyle
I am also a nerd just like anyone else!
Shouldn’t it be Nerd de Verité? “Nerd of truth”?
very interesting! for those of my generation, it was definitely being on the AV squad in junior high (knowing how to set up the reel to reel, the overhead projectors, etc). Takes me back! Tell me though, what is the distinction between nerd and geek? Are all nerds geeks of a sort, but not all geeks nerds?
There is a difference - watch out for the upcoming article! :-))
revenge of the nerds is sweet
Delightful…
but nerd sometime ppl thought they r anti social what a pity nerd
Revenge of the Nerds: A dish best served 0 K.
Great stuff, very funny
Somewhere along the way, nerds evolved into geeks. Definitions of the word “geek” per the Merriam-Webster Dictionary below are clearly apropos:
Main Entry: geek
Pronunciation: ˈgēk
Function: noun
Etymology: probably from English dialect geek, geck fool, from Low German geck, from Middle Low German
Date: 1914
1 : a carnival performer often billed as a wild man whose act usually includes biting the head off a live chicken or snake
2 : a person often of an intellectual bent who is disliked
3 : an enthusiast or expert especially in a technological field or activity
Next time your technically clueless, Dilbertesque CIO gets on your case just to remind the IT Department who’s boss, whip out a rubber chicken and respond according to Definition #1. You’ll never be harassed or overworked again — guaranteed!
As usual, you crack me up! I love your work!!
Great article, thanks.
I’d like to point out that the UK TV comedy is called ‘The IT Crowd’ not ‘The IT Team’. Slightly off-the-wall, but some great observations of life within tech support.
9.8 technical execution
9.9 artistic interpretation
10.0 sense of humor
You might not get an Olympic medal for being in the swim of things, however, you’ve been nominated.
Fantastic Article x love it
All who use the computer are nerds!!!!
I think part of the reason nerds are accepted and displayed as a more respectful “species” nowadays is because the nerds of the Happy Days era are now grown up and are the people who create today’s pop culture images. Specifically, you had the birth of the term during the 50s-60s and it matured into its complete image in the 70s where the term was used as more of an insult than anything else and, in most sorts of media, the “cool guy” was the star and the nerds were the background material that were used to create laughs by blowing up their quirkiness and weird ways (”Oh, he knows stuff about computers. Let’s call him a robot.” -Queue laugh track-). Now the real-life nerds who got shunned during the 70s are making the images of today. They are in charge of most kinds of industry that can affect pop-culture images and you get shows that portray the smart, nerd type as the guy who eventually saves the day and gets the girl, while the “dude” who got a sports scholarship to go to College/Uni is the “loser” of the bunch.
Then again, it might be the other way around. Maybe people realised the nerd is the star in real-life and the image gets translated into movies and TV-shows.
I don’t claim to be a nerd, though many would argue that I am. I am not ashamed to be called one, I would consider it a compliment, which is why I don’t call myself one, just like I would consider it a compliment for someone to call me smart of handsome, but I don’t go around saying that I’m smarter than everyone else or more good-looking.
Very Funny! Nerds finally fight back!
At last someone did a piece on Nerds. Funny!!
I was a “nerd” in the 1975-present? I always carried my books instead of using a locker. I had glasses, and braces on my teeth. I was in marching band, concert band, and an orchestra. I then went on to be an arm wrestling champion in the state of Florida, bench pressing 275 pounds and weighing 137 pounds. But I still play the piano, guitar, bass, trombone, baritone, french horn, trumpet, and bass guitar, with acceptance. Very good article. “Nerds” sometimes become a lot different later on in life. Example: People who would not give me the time of day, later “became my friend,” after seeing me play in concert. We as a society judge by looks too often.
This is very good and very funny. Well worth searching through al those websites!
Great stuff I liked it, thanks!
Hilarious! And btw, that Nerd Pride celebration is on official Star Wars Day! Woot! Nerds Unite! (MTFBWY, LLAP)
Hey! It’s one thing to make fun of a nerd, but no Scottish people!! I’ll show you funny accents!!PS…I was taught that a nerd was a curly hair on your hiney.Fact or fiction, CarlCarl?
I think that some of these guys are geeks. Don’t think they are nerds :S
Nerd Tattoo -> That’s me and I don’t considerate me a nerd. Maybe a geek. If I were nerd, I would be in University at this time xDDDD
lol another score for RJ btw there geeks not nerds Dijinn is right
Since my earlier post (#22), there seems to be some confusion on whether nerd = geek. Rest assured that I am living proof of such.
Most of the latest comments here, I suspect, are from a generation later than mine. As such, they are only pretenders to nerdness as I, at one time, wore and still proudly possess the Holy Grails that were the hallmarks of any who claimed the title of nerd. To wit:
1) Early-60’s plastic-framed glasses
Annual electronics catalogs from Allied Radio (Chicago), Lafayette Radio (New York) and Heathkit (Benton Harbor MI)
3) Clip-on sunglasses
3) White plastic pocket protector
4) Mechanical drafting pencils
5) Pink Pearl erasers
6) Leaky pens
7) 6-inch plastic slide rule
9) Red-handled Xcelite 1/4″ nutdriver
10) Pocket chess set
Today, all of the above are displayed on the top of my computer hutch where I do software development and author technical papers after a 20-year career in aerospace engineering/engineering management in Los Angeles followed by a 20-year run at entrepreneurship installing/supporting Novell & Microsoft networks.
Geekness will continue until someone pries my cold, dead hand from my mouse.
good fun
Nerds are great! They don’t hurt People!
I always wanted to know my heritage. Thanks
James
http://thehistorycellar.blogspot.com/