Number 1: Let's open up with the definition of Geek from the
Merriam-Webster OnLine
Dictionary:
| Main Entry: geek Pronunciation: 'gEk 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 disapproved of - geeky /'gE-kE/ adjective |
As opposed to the definition of nerd from the same source:
| Main Entry: nerd Pronunciation: 'n&rd Function: noun Etymology: perhaps from nerd, a creature in the children's book If I Ran the Zoo (1950) by Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel) Date: 1951 : an unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits - nerd·ish /'n&r-dish/ adjective - nerdy /-dE/ adjective |
First and foremost, biting the head off a snake just doesn't fit my fancy. But more
important is the clarification in the second definition, "who is disapproved of."
Unlike the earlier "often of an intellectual bent" which is an optional definition
and does not have to be part of it, the disapproval component is mandatory. Now
a similar optional intellectual component exists in the definition of nerd, but
"unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept" is actually a pretty good description
of myself anyway, so the intellectual part doesn't even have to be there. All in
all, I just can't bring my pride down to a level that will accept being told that
you just out right don't like me.