pseudo-nerd |ˈsoōdō nərd|
noun informal
- an insecure individual searching for self-identity by adopting a label to which they conform very loosely : the teenage pseudo-nerd babbled about Harry Potter.
- one who wishes to attract the attention of the nerd population by copying their superficial mannerisms.
There is an unfortunate trend in current teenage society toward the school of thought that nerdiness is cool. This makes very little sense, because by definition nerdiness is thought of as a label for weird people. Its synonyms are bore, dork, dweeb, nimrod, geek, drip, loser, and (*snicker*) techie. Put succinctly: You cannot be cool and nerdy at the same time.
I have dubbed this phenomenon the pseudo-nerd. Here follows a list of criteria for the purposes of distinguishing the pseudo-nerd from the true nerd.
- Nerds slip casual references to things in the realm of nerd-dom into conversations to see if anyone reacts. This: "Ooh, +2 to Sneak Attack"; not this: "OMG YOU SHOULD PLAY DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS."
- At least half of the music on a nerd's iPod is from movie soundtracks, and when asked, they can identify a favorite composer. (Hans Zimmer FTW.)
- Nerds use words like 'facetious', 'surreptitious' and 'plebeian' in casual conversation with perfect ease, not out of a desire to draw attention to themselves but because they feel such a word is appropriate. They will also combine these with expressions like FTW (for the win) and w00t.
- Nerds own t-shirts with things like Einstein's Theory of Relativity emblazoned on them. Or, alternatively, "I prepared Explosive Runes this morning."
- Nerds do not curse conventionally. Instead, they say things like, 'curse it', 'blood and ashes', or 'by the seventh level of the underworld!'
- You will come across the occasional nerd who can solve a Rubik's Cube in sixty seconds flat with their eyes closed. (I know one of these.)
- Nerds, when conversing with their fellow nerds, can often be highly confusing in the way they address each other. This is due to the fact that most nerds have two names, real-life and internet, and they respond with equal alacrity to both.
- 'Fantasy author' is a synonym for nerd.
- Nerds bake cakes on September 22. (If you don't know why, you're either a pseudo-nerd or a non-nerd.)
There's even a test!
(Fankoo potr for helping.)
4 comments:
I may recognize every single thing on that list, identify with some, or want a t-shirt with Einstein's most famous equation (not the equation for the theory of relativity. E=mc2 is, if I am not greatly mistaken, is something the theory of relatively predicts, not the equation of the theory of relativity itself), but I am not a nerd in that sense. Really. :P
I'm not the least bit surprised that nerdiness is becoming desired. It's so predictable. Stuff happens like this all the time.
Facetious, surreptitious, plebeian - I mean just saying these words is exciting.
This post made me smile...a lot. :D
Btw, some of us acknowledge the fact that we are not born with a talent in baking, so we simply watch FotR on the 22nd, instead of baking cakes.
TECHIE <3
I used to be pretty nerdy, what with the reading and the glasses and all that. I'm now somewhat less nerdy (except the techi-ness) but I do say facetious a lot...
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