As a native of the geek population whose identity is slowly expanding to include the title "nerd", I feel the urge to distinguish the two. I'd like to, first, note that the two are neither one and the same, nor mutually exclusive. I find it very ironic that many have come to view the words "nerd" and "geek" as synonymous, as their original definitions were exact opposites. Their origins were also very different. The word "geek" first appeared in the early 1900s and generally referred to circus freaks. The word "nerd", however, first appeared in a Dr. Seuss' book titled If I Ran the Zoo.

But, as the link above mentioned, there is an alternative theory as to where the term "nerd" originated, and that is the word "drunk" spelled backwards, or "knurd". Which was, basically, supposed to be the opposite of a party animal-- someone who'd rather stay in and study (maybe brush up on their geometry, or another academic).

So, originally, a geek was a fool, and a nerd was an academic enthusiast -- you can't get much more opposite than that.

Now, at this point, you might be wondering why I'd identify myself with "fools", well, I don't. Geek has come to mean something completely unrelated to it's original definition. In my eyes, a geek and a nerd are both enthusiasts in a way. A nerd is more of an academic enthusiast, while a geek is someone who has channeled their enthusiasm into a few specific non-academic things. Can I prove this definition? Well, let's try.

I searched for the hashtag "geeking out" on Twitter. My search turned up the tweets of many enthusiasts, many of which, for example, mentioned Star Wars (which is unsurprising in light of the franchise's newest movie release). Now, I think most would agree that these Twitter users would not say that the term that they used ("geeking out") could be replaced with #being a fool, and have no essential difference. People use the term "geeking out" when they want to express that they are passionate about something. And, really, what could be a more flattering compliment?

So, essentially, a geek is someone who is passionate about something(s), while a nerd is an academic enthusiast-- someone who enjoys learning and furthering their studies. As I said at the beginning of this article, I am (in terms of geek vs nerd), at the moment at least, first and foremost a geek. An enthusiast if you will. But, largely because the geek and nerd communities become closely intertwined at points because of their like passion and enthusiasm, I have begun to also identify as a nerd. I enjoy expanding my studies, and my intellectual side in my free time. Sometimes I just sit down and learn for fun. I guess that could be seen as strange, but you might be a nerd too! With the rise in popularity of YouTube videos and channels that supply people with fun "quick facts" on the go, it is safe to assume that a significant portion of the population have some "nerdiness" in them. So, don't be afraid to embrace your nerdy side or your geeky side. Explore it/them.

DFTBA