Define Cynical Fan Forums

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<!--QuoteBegin-Caigan+Jun 2 2005, 09:16 PM--> <table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'><b>Quote:</b> (Caigan @ Jun 2 2005, 09:16 PM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> <img src='http://lupinia.us/houserules/archive/20 ... 0216-c.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' /> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table> <!--QuoteEEnd--><br> Oh, how I hated those nerds, so aerogant, and got all us geeks labled the same! Ha-Ha the stock market crash really got them!! Unfortunately it screwed us Geeks over too, when we try to make any sort of revolutionary buisness startegy we get labeled another "technology screwjob" when it was really the fact that the greed blinded those nerds so much that they fell for the oldest stock market scam in the book, called the manufactured bubble.<br><br>Not to mention all the private stock investors got left with their savings gone as well, and now corporations think that startups are no threat to them, just like they did in the 30s.

Neither "nerd" nor "geek" is all that well defined. Both terms have been used for anyone from Steve Urkel to Beavis and Butt-head. A year ago, I thought "nerd" was the more positive of the two terms. I had even seen "cool nerd" to refer to someone who makes up for societal awkwardness with likable talent -- rather like many a cartoonist I observe. (The real uncool nerds, in my mind, were those who either tried and failed to be cool the usual way or believed themselves to be cool when they weren't -- rather like Avery.) The way I understand it now, "geek" is more likely to imply expertise in addition to uncoolness.

I've always been against geek, nerd, dork, et cetera because to me they were always just labels slapped on those who were smarter/worked harder/whatever.

Random, mostly useless facts: the term "geek" was originally used to describe circus performers whose shows consisted of bizarre acts of eating live animals, most notably biting the heads off of chickens. The term derives from the Scottish word <i>geck</i>, meaning "fool".<br><br>As for nerd/geek. Nerd is the term used for one who has low social skills and high intelligence, while geek was used for those with low social skills and low intelligence. However, today a geek is essentially a synonym for nerd.

And I believe "dude" is infected butt hair from an elephant. Ironic that its used at sort of a "cool" term.

I could give you all the origin of "butthead", but that's too easy. Wisecracking Lout or Endearing Fun-loving guy. Oh, yeah, and I'm pretty sure most stereotypical nerds/geeks/whatever are driven by revenge, not greed. But I can't speak for others, now can I?

I think "dude" came from surfer slang, but I'm really not sure.

I read as a kid that "dude" came from a German expression for "fool," but other sources tell me that the origin is uncertain and speculations abound. We tend to think of the Wild West as the earliest setting for its popular use in English, but it didn't appear in print until the 1870s.<br><br>As for BC's objection to the term, I should ask how he feels about other terms that started as insults but have since been worn with pride. Like "queer," or even (I think) "Jew."

<!--QuoteBegin-Tom Flapwell+Jun 5 2005, 08:23 PM--> <table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'><b>Quote:</b> (Tom Flapwell @ Jun 5 2005, 08:23 PM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> As for BC's objection to the term, I should ask how he feels about other terms that started as insults but have since been worn with pride. Like "queer," or even (I think) "Jew." <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table> <!--QuoteEEnd--><br> I'm just opposed to labels that turn me into a stereotype. I'm my own unique person and not some one-dimensional charecter seen on TV.<br><br>Speaking of terms that started as insults did you know that the term "to gyp" came from the word Gypsies and was because of the belief that they were all sneaky scoundrels. Many people don't realize the origin but still use the term.<br><br>And as for "Jew" many of my real life friends think I'm a closet Jew for some reason <!--emo&:rolleyes:--><img src='http://definecynical.mancubus.net/forum ... lleyes.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='rolleyes.gif' /><!--endemo--> . Even the Jewish ones.