Are you a nerd or a geek?

Ethan here is the best Nerd of Kechara Care! Happy Belated birthday

if you see this…

I recently read this humourous article on CNN's website on the difference between geeks and nerds and I though I share it here. Apparently, the word 'geek' and 'nerd' are etymologically different in its meaning and usage. However, most people use them interchangeably these days anyway.

In the article, the origin of the word 'Geek' is really quite funny. 

The word "geek" started out meaning almost the exact opposite of the word "nerd." "It was used in the early 20th century as a term for a carnie who was so unskilled at doing tricks or entertaining people that the only thing he could do at the carnival to get an audience was to bite the heads off of live animals. What it denoted was a real loser who was really unskilled," Nugent said.

On the other hand, the word 'Nerd' actually came from a book by Dr Seuss…

"Nerd," Nugent said, was first printed in the 1950 Dr. Seuss book, "If I ran the zoo." One of the creatures in the zoo — an angry looking old man — is called a nerd, but bears little resemblance to what people generally think of as a nerd today.

In the middle of the article, it only came clear to me how to distinguish a nerd from a geek. Otherwise, it almost sounded like another one of those geek/nerd attempt on writing about something insignificant again. 

'Nerd' is an intellectual designation. 'Geek' is a social designation. You can be both and you can be one and not the other. 

Ok, it is insignificant but kinda fun. Don't you think? 

I think I am a nerd and a geek (Sad!). I think Kecharians are mostly nerds with a sprinkling of nerd geeks in its midst and a tiny dash of weirdo geeks. Hehe! 

Here is the original article….

http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/12/02/nerd.or.geek/

Jean Ai and Jean Mei here are trying very hard to bridge the gab between nerd and geek! 

Photos of the Geeks, nerds and in-betweens are taken from Kechara's facebook page.