# Dork



## Louanna007

dork=? Come si chiama una persona che e ossessionato/a con la scuola e imparando? Ha un difensore di tasche, una calcolatrice, e un cannoncchiale.


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## Coventina

Ciao Louanna007,
Ho sentito la parola 'secchione' usata per desrivere una persona che studia tantissimo.


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## Raphillon

Louanna007 said:
			
		

> dork=? Come si chiama una persona che e' ossessionata ("persona" is always femminine) con dalla scuola e dall' imparare? Ha un difensore di tasche (? Non so cosa sia...), una calcolatrice, e un cannoncchiale.


 
"Secchione", come dice Coventia, dovrebbe essere perfetto 

Ho aggiunto qualche commento, spero non ti dispiaccia...

Ciao.


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## Silvia

Louanna007 said:
			
		

> Come si chiama una persona *uno* che e ossessionato/a con la *pensa solo alla* scuola e imparando *a imparare tutto*? Ha *Va in giro con* un difensore di tasche *il salvatasche*, una *la* calcolatrice e un *il* *cannocchiale*.


Il termine secchione si riferisce a uno portato per lo studio, che va benissimo a scuola e passa molto tempo a studiare, non esce o, se lo fa, esce pochissimo, si veste probabilmente anche da secchione, è probabile che porti gli occhiali e sia anche timido. Il termine è usato in modo dispregiativo, o almeno con qualche connotazione negativa. Mi pare che questa definizione sia già stata discussa qui in WR. I think it's close to nerd and swot.

"Dork" must be a synonym of those two terms, or am I on the wrong track?

P.S.: le formule "ossessionato dalla scuola" o "avere l'ossessione della scuola" possono implicare una forte preoccupazione/disagio (per es. "da quando è stata bocciata due anni fa, è ossessionata dalla scuola")


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## GavinW

I agree with Silvia. Secchione is a bit different from dork (although there is some overlap between them). 

For me, the secchione-swot is like that because they want to get good results at school, while the dork does not primarily have this ambition. They generally simply lack the imagination to display more individualism. personality and flair.

But maybe to get any further we need a slightly fuller definition of dork, just to remind ourselves...


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## You little ripper!

> But maybe to get any further we need a slightly fuller definition of dork, just to remind ourselves


 Here is a definition.
Link


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## Silvia

Thanks to Charles I could understand what Louanna's "difensore di tasche" was! We don't have anything like that! It's what we'd call... un'americanata  (but I guess it might be a good business if someone decided to export it here )


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## alicesprings

Hi, everybody.
I'm just registered, and I need help.
I'm trying to translate an interview; the context is ...various : the journalist and the interviewed are talking about professional life, private life, habits, sex, etc... Could you help me ? 
The sentence is : I'm kind of a dork. (I still haven't found any translation, I suppose is a typical slang, and I'm not sure but I think they're talking about sexuality or something...) 
Thanks a lot, 
Tina


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## DDT

alicesprings said:


> The sentence is : I'm kind of a dork. (I still haven't found any translation, I suppose is a typical slang, and I'm not sure but I think they're talking about sexuality or something...)
> Thanks a lot,
> Tina


Proprio perché ha una connotazione sessuale e denota stupidità, Ti suggerirei di tradurlo come "pirla"

DDT


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## alicesprings

Beh... malgrado l'imbarazzo , ti ringrazio per la precisione e l'aiuto, DDT: Certo, avrei voluto iniziare con qualcos'altro, l'entrata in questo forum, ma ... Grazie ancora, DDT.
Tina


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## ElaineG

Secondo me, oggigiorno, "dork" non ha una connotazione sessuale. Vuol dire "nerd", un'altro americanismo non molto traducibile.


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## Ginoitalia

Dork is slang for a person that is regarded as a strange, or an odd person.
A dork could be clumsey, or do stupid things (but not supid in intellegence).


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## alicesprings

Ciao e grazie a tutti per i consigli. 
Dal contesto originale, credo che il senso/significato più adatto sia quello di una persona che si comporta in modo un pò stupido, ma non manca comunque d'intelligenza; piuttosto sembra essere una buona definizione di chi non prende le cose sul serio, un pò per gioco... o meglio, gioca a fare lo stupido...

Tina


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## maryb

Dork is slang and has the sense of someone who is awkward in social situations.  "Sono un po' imbranato" may be a good translation or "faccio un po' la schiappa".  They may be a bit stronger than the sense of "dork" though. Any thoughts from native Italian speakers?


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## alicesprings

maryb said:


> Dork is slang and has the sense of someone who is awkward in social situations. "Sono un po' imbranato" may be a good translation or "faccio un po' la schiappa". They may be a bit stronger than the sense of "dork" though. Any thoughts from native Italian speakers?


 
...What I think, Maryb, is that probably your definition is the most appropriate (in the context I have to translate...it's perfect !!!)... 
thank you !
[maybe better to say : I'm a dork = sono imbranato, sono una schiappa, *non* faccio la schiappa]


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## _forumuser_

anche 'sfigato' non e' male


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## maryb

alicesprings said:


> [maybe better to say : I'm a dork = sono imbranato, sono una schiappa, *non* faccio la schiappa]


 
Thanks!   I'm always looking to improve my Italian.


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## alicesprings

maryb said:


> Thanks! I'm always looking to improve my Italian.


... ...You're welcome, Maryb. Of course, me too I'm trying to improve my english so, thank you for correcting me every time it needs...


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## alicesprings

Thanks everybody !!!


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## Fofiefofi

Hi everyone!!!!

Can anybody tell me waht "dorky" means? It must be some Australian slang...Thank *you*!


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## TimLA

Fofiefofi said:


> Hi everyone!!!!
> 
> Can anybody tell me waht "dorky" means? It must be some Australian slang...Thank u!


 
Common in AE.


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## Paulfromitaly

Dorky o dork significa idiota, stupido, molto strano.


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## ElaineG

Paulfromitaly said:


> Dorky o dork significa idiota, stupido, molto strano.


 
Mi sembrano troppo forti.   Se hai tempo, leggi l'articolo Wiki nel altro thread, e dimmi cosa pensi.


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## TrentinaNE

ElaineG said:


> Mi sembrano troppo forti.


Anche a me.  Credo che _dorky_ sia quasi sinomino in inglese a awkward/socially inept invece di stupid o idiotic.

Elisabetta


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## Paulfromitaly

ElaineG said:


> Mi sembrano troppo forti.   Se hai tempo, leggi l'articolo Wiki nel altro thread, e dimmi cosa pensi.



You are the English speaker Elaine, so your opinion is the reliable one 
I chose that translation according to :

Slang dictionary: *Dork* =  _Noun._ An idiot, a contemptible person. [Orig. U.S.]

Cambridge : *Dork *= a stupid awkward person

Oxford: *Dork* = noun (informal) a stupid or boring person that other people laugh at.


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## Sil313

is it something like "loser"? or more like "nerd"?


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## konungursvia

Dorky is not too strong, it means awkward but not an idiot.


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## cas29

That's quite interesting Paul.... While I would consider "stupid" to be part of dorky, it isn't the first thing that comes to my mind... I would be tempted to say foolish and awkward---- but I'd also include the concepts of irritating and jerk

Most of the guys portayed in teenage high-school films are portayed as dorks!
Where I come from Girls are rarely called dorks, but they can be told that their behaviour is dorky. I have no idea why!


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## ElaineG

See here: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=dork (not the whale penis   meanings, but the other ones).


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## Siberia

In  my area of the world we say "kift" - maldestro it would be in Italian

Sib


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## cas29

Sil313 said:


> is it something like "loser"? or more like "nerd"?


 
No not really.

edited to say: I had put a link, but then realized it had already been posted by Elaine! sorry!


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## Paulfromitaly

Siberia said:


> In  my area of the world we say "kift" - maldestro it would be in Italian
> 
> Sib



You mean I could hear it everywhere across UK?
Would it mean something like the Scots "ned" ?


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## Siberia

We say it in Wales and have heard it said on telly in English programmes  so they must say it around some parts of the UK

Sib


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## Grtngs

I heard the expression "work-dork" ("you're such a work-dork!!"),
does it mean workaholic? Is it used frequently?

Thanks
G


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## ElaineG

Grtngs said:


> I heard the expression "work-dork" ("you're such a work-dork!!"),
> does it mean workaholic? Is it used frequently?
> 
> Thanks
> G


 
A work-dork would be someone who likes their work a lot, is really into it, in a dorky way.  

For example, if you found your friend going back to the office in the evening, and he told you, "I just really enjoy reading those documents!", you could affectionately call him a "work dork."


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## Italian Junkie

I too would like to know an idiomatic term for dork.  However, there seems to be a lot of confusion in this thread as to what a dork is, so let me define the type of person that _I _would know to be a 'dork.'

- The manner of dress is usually unfashionable - ranging from wearing trendy clothes years after the trend is over, to stereotypical pocket-protector/broken glasses/high-water pants type of outfit.
- Often are very skinny or very over-weight.
- Usually very intelligent and an expert at one particular area: computers, theater, cinema, math, science, etc.
- Outside of their area of expertise, they completely lack social charisma: get very nervous, are either too quiet or to loud, speak too intellectually or misuse slang in an attempt to seem cool, and basically try very hard to fit in, but never do.

**Also, to correct some previous comments...
- it is generally accepted that the word is derived from 'dick' (as used as an insult in the 60s) or is a slang term for a whale's penis, but currently dork is _Never _used with a sexual connotation, at least not in the US.
- Dork and Nerd are Not interchangeable. _Dorks _realize they are not popular, and often try very hard to either attract as little attention as possible or change themselves so that they will fit in.  _Nerds _realize they are not popular, but think they are better for it and flaunt their nerdiness and rarely try to blend in.
**

Some stereotypical examples of Dorks in mass media are:
The main characters of Napoleon Dynamite
funtalking.com/images/wallpaper_napoleonkipcouch.jpg
cinemastrikesback.com/news/daily/napoleondynamite12801.jpg
Andy Stitzer in 40-year-old Virgin
dvd.easycinema.com/easy/images/products/3/46813-large.jpg
us.movies1.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/photo/movie_pix/universal_pictures/the_40_year_old_virgin/_group_photos/steve_carrell3.jpg
Lisa Simpson in The Simpsons
content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/9/9b/200px-1f17.jpg
Meg Griffin in The Family Guy
media.putfile.com/Meg-Griffin-Rejected-BIG-TIME

Would someone please tell me a term, preferably non-derogatory, that would used in Italian??

Thanks!!


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## rcrist

Hi everyone,

I had a conversation with a Canadian-Italian friend about "dork". He said that "pirla" sounds well balanced as it's slightly vulgar. 

Lui ha reimparato l'italiano a Milano, quindi magari non è proprio una traduzione purista.

ciao a tutti


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## Giorgio Spizzi

Scusa, Silvia,
a me è rimasta la curiosità intorno al "difensore delle tasche". Nel tuo thread sei stata un po' criptica. Lo dici anche a noi?
Saluti.
GS


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## Deus84

Ricordo un film (scuola di polizia?) dove dork veniva tradotto con c.oglione.


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## capitano

_forumuser_ said:


> anche 'sfigato' non e' male



dork = sfigato 

I'm italian and once in a MTV stupid program I heard this word and the subtitle translated it exactly with "sfigato"... I think this is definitely the best translation for this word... I was nearly sure it hasn't any connection with school results and Charles' Wikipedia link  ["USA pejorative slang for a quirky, silly and/or stupid, socially inept person, or one who is out of touch with contemporary trends. Often confused with nerd and geek, but does not imply the same level of intelligence"] made me sure about this point

Have a nice day!


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