# geek / nerd



## Periscope

Quelle est la différence entre *Geek* et *Nerd* ? Dans quel cas utilise-t-on plus l'un que l'autre ? Geek est-il plus familier ?

J'ai cherché Geek dans le dictionnaire WR et le mot ne s'y trouve pas :
_We found no English translation for 'geek' in our English to French Dictionary._
Etonnante cette absence. Quelqu'un a-t-il la possibilité de l'ajouter ?

Et parallèlement à ça, j'aimerais savoir comment se prononce Geek en anglais. En français on le prononce _*guique*_ mais il paraît qu'en anglais c'est *djique*.

Merci beaucoup !


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## little_vegemite

Hello, 
no it's pronounced "guique" not "dgique" it's a hard g.

Oh and Geek and Nerd are almost synonymous - a nerd is usually a very studious person and a geek is usually someone who is very uncool / interested in extremely uncool things - however there's a blurry line between the two, I wouldn't worry about the difference. Also, neither is more familiar than the other.


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## cropje_jnr

Non, ça se prononce d'exactement la même manière en anglais qu'en français 

Autrefois, ces deux mots voulaient dire exactement la même chose, à ce que j'en sache, mais au fil du temps le sens de "nerd" a évolué pour comprendre les gens intelligents -- quelque soient précisément leurs atouts intellectuels. Avant, un "nerd" était quelqu'un qui s'y connaît bien en ordinateurs. De nos jours, on a tendance à dire "geek" à la place de "nerd" dans un tel contexte.

Pour résumer :

_Geek = _qqn très doué en informatique.
_Nerd_ = qqn de très intelligent.

Il faut tout de même préciser que ceci n'est que mon opinion à moi -- d'autres auront sans doute des interprétations bien différentes.


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## Periscope

Merci beaucoup, il y a donc bien une petite différence entre les deux, subtile mais qui peut néanmoins faire toute la différence


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## Areyou Crazy

JE voudrais ajouter un mot geek has the chance to be bill gates a nerd never will, a geek can have lots of friends a nerd won't have any !,,, cruel world


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## wildan1

_nerd_ est un mot qui existe depuis longtemps. Une personne (en général un homme) intelligente et douée intellectuellement mais maladroite socialement et manquant de style vestimentaire

_geek _vient des 90s--c'est un doué en informatique, comme a dit periscope. Et certains geeks peuvent même avoir un certain style ou look " geek " qui charment certain(e)s--mais pas toujours !


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## Periscope

Merci pour ces nouvelles précisions *wildan1* ! 

En français on utilise le mot _*geek*_ pour les deux sens alors que manifestement en anglais, l'utilisation de _*nerd*_ permet de mieux définir le 'genre' de personne à qui on fait allusion.

Un geek n'est pas un nerd et inversement (quoi que parfois...)


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## Lourdingue

I know this is an old thread but it may interest whoever finds this to know that the English word "geek" first appeared in 1876, meaning an odd or disgusting person and later came to be associated with circus freaks, particularly those who bit off the heads of chickens.  Today when we talk about a computer geek that word history is there whether understood or not.  Thus a computer geek cannot be translated as a "allumé des ordinateurs" because this phrase does not capture the distaste such a person engenders.  Same goes for the other suggestions.  I say it's not translatable.


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## Mermoz

But "geek" is more referring to a special topic isn't it  ? I heard about "comics books geeks" and there's a site called "wargeek.net" (all about militaria" ) Nerd is more general, or I'm wrong ?


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## offkey

Here's my opinion, as one who identifies himself as a nerd.  In my mind, geek always has kind of a negative connotation, and generally refers to someone socially unskilled.  Geek also doesn't really have an intelligence factor as far as i'm concerned.  One can be stupid and geeky.  That said, i haven't heard the word geek in a while.  It seems to have fallen out of use, at least where I am -- college, midwest; don't know if it's age-related or regional.

Nerd, on the other hand, seems to have picked up over the last few years or so a more positive, or at least joking connotation, having to do with being unreasonably knowledgeable about something with which the average member of society would not be half as familiar.  A nerd on its own is just someone who's smart academically, if a little socially inept.  But you can also have a computer nerd, a theatre nerd (which i myself identify with), a history nerd, a dungeons and dragons nerd, or any number of categories.

So you can take that for whatever you will.  It's no dictionary definition, just another opinion to be added to the pile.


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## beri

'geek' is not used specifically for a computer geek, as said above. Around me, people call themselves geeks, board game geeks (and I believe I am one too ) plus the bible website for board games is called that
so I guess 'geek' is a common word


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## Captain Ishido

Le geek peut avoir des relations sociales; le nerd, non.


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## ambewela

Also, 'nerd' is distictly more American english
In the UK we use 'geek' far more


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## Mermoz

btw, is Gary Larson's work viewed as a "nerd stuff", or is it mainstream ? Since he makes a lot of scientific references, and I wondered if american general knowledge wasn't more scientific than french one, for example.


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## unefemme1

In English, its pronounced as "guique", as in "goat". 
As far as I know, Geeks were people who were usually technologically knowledged, such as experts on computers, electronic devices etc. Geeks can also define people who are more focused on the logical and sometimes rational aspects, such as chess games that require logical and strategical thinking. Nerds are more to do with academic intelligence and books. For example, a nerd could be a "swot", someone who achieves high marks and is very studious. But sometimes the two could have very similar, if not the same meanings. And to bring up on what offkey mentioned, I think both Geek AND Nerd have negative connotations. Society does tend to give a negative reaction when they label people "geeks" and "nerds". Personally, I think I'm more of a nerd than a geek, just because I have far more interest in books and a fair bit on studying than in say, the technological workings of computers, strategic games, etc  

In French, do they use "geek" and "nerds" too, or do they have their own words?


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## ambewela

I very much doubt it... i think population percentage-wise the French have the upper hand. However, to be honest, to call Gary Larson's work 'nerd stuff' you have to have a pretty low IQ.. (or not understand the language very well!)


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## unefemme1

Just checked out who Gary was... I'd say he's more mainstream, there are lots of other comic strip artists like him who don't necessarily make dumb or blatant references to society. They can be witty but not geeky either, if that makes sense to you? I think his comics are more for pure entertainment than for anything else really...


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## Mermoz

ambewela : of course most of his comics are understandable, but he does refer to some scientifical theories sometimes you have to know to fully enjoy the humor.  But I haven't any example in mind right now.


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## beri

unefemme1 said:


> In French, do they use "geek" and "nerds" too, or do they have their own words?


I know some people, as I, use the english words. Youth also use "un no-life" (see "Clément le no-life" on a famous video streaming website) to describe a geek teenager or someone who doesn't have a life apart from their computer, music, etc.

However there may be equivalent French words or expressions. "Un sans ami" describes a socially inapt person, and it can sometimes be because they are a nerd.


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## casy213

If you call someone a geek, I think there's something slighty more affectionate about it... I call my sister a "geek" or a "boff" when she does well in a test for example, but nerd has an ever so slightly nasty edge to it...

Maybe that's just me?
Casy


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## Half-breed13

Hey Casy, I totally agree with you, "nerd" has a slightly more nasty feel to it.  And a hi from Maidenhead!!!


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## overdue

Jerry Lewis, in "Nutty Professor," is a nerd


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## xiancee

And Elie Semoun in "Cyprien" is a nerd too !


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## overdue

xiancee said:


> And Elie Semoun in "Cyprien" is a nerd too !


 Haven't seen the movie, but just from seeing the poster, je suis completement d'accord!


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## marget

In my dictionary, I found "débile" for geek.  Does this seem accurate?


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## Lourdingue

Débile can mean a number of things from inept to retarded.  A geek on the other hand was originally a carnival performer who performed sensationally morbid or disgusting acts, as biting off the head of a live chicken.  The connotation is that a geek is a freak of some kind but not necessarily inept or stupid.


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## Raving Rabbid

In my mind, the perfect description is there 

http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_krfph2FsJJ1qa4o6lo1_400.png


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## Mermoz

I'm sorry but in fact, "débile" just means "moron".. There wasn't real word in french to translate nerd/geek yet the idea alreary existed in french... Because French dilutes and English condenses.


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## xiancee

Raving Rabbid said:


> In my mind, the perfect description is there
> 
> http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_krfph2FsJJ1qa4o6lo1_400.png




That is a precious found!


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## philipmay

what's the French word?


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## orlando09

Oxford dictionaries gives two versions for nerd:

a foolish or contemptible person who lacks social skills or is boringly studious:_I was a serious nerd until I discovered girls and cars_

a single-minded expert in a particular technical field:_a computer nerd

I would say it started completely negative and meaning a foolish and socially inept person; then moved to be boring and socially inept but very studious; and now can be positive and can just mean someone with an obsessive level of knowledge and expertise in something , especially IT. I would say the postitive evolution of this work and "geek", is partly due to the fact some geeks, like Bill Gates, have become hugely rich and successful and that IT is increasingly important and not just some minority pursuit of little practical use.

To my ear they are very similar, but nerd still sounds more insulting, but then that might be because I'm British, and as someone said, it's not used that much in the UK.

_


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## orlando09

PS. I am not sure why the original poster was looking in the dictionary for an English translation of geek, when it is English already...


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## philipmay

I guess I'm posting in the wrong thread.  I was wondering what a good French word is.  I understand that the French use "geek" also, but I was hoping to find native French words.

By the way, how come "mouche" doesn't work.  I hear it said all the time in contemporary French movies.


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## orlando09

Hadn't come across "mouche", but according to the "Bob" slang dictionary it means: ¶ Vilain, laid, débile, ridicule, bête ; mauvais. So it has all the worst connotations of geek or nerd, but none of the positive or techy ones.


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## xiancee

I don't really get it but by "mouche" do you mean "moche"?


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## orlando09

No, "mouche", but as far as I can see it means pretty much the same, so not sure what the point of it is.... maybe it's just a different, more slangy version of it?


Everything you ever wanted to know about the word Geek http://dailyinfographic.com/geek-streak-infographic


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