Writingbolt's Creation

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I can’t remember what late night show brought this up recently, but it stuck out in my mind, demanding I take a whack at the explanation.

When I was a kid, either word was like a scarlet letter on your social status.  If word got around that you were either a geek or nerd, you had little chance of ever getting the best anything out of life other than a score on some video game no “cool kid” had time to play.  But, nowadays, I am okay with being called both words, on occasion.

Here are my personal definitions:

NERD:  A NERD is someone who is remarkably knowledgeable about a particular subject and capable of organizing that knowledge well so it can be referenced at any time.  So organized are nerds that they tend to get miffed if you disrupt their sense of order.

GEEK:  A GEEK is someone who is greatly exited by and/or interested in a particular subject and likely to drool in response to a mere mention of said subject.  Hence the concept of “geeking out.”  [There is no such thing as “nerding out,” as far as I know.]  You don’t have to be as educated as a nerd to be a geek.  And, geeks don’t usually qualify as neat freaks.

In short, geeks drool with excitement.  Nerds do not.  Nerds are more likely to know more about a subject than a geek.

Now you know.  And, that makes you a superstar.  Or, half the battle is won?  I dunno.

[FYI:  I am somewhere between a Jem geek and a Jem nerd.  I have my info and other resources on the cartoon in decent order and would be bothered by any disruption.  But, I am not so knowledgeable that I can reference every character or episode.  And, on occasion, I’ve been known to drool.  :)]