The Ultimate Trivia Thread

[Pulpwood]

The Graham cracker was developed with the belief that it would curb sexual arousal.............Named after the Presbyterian minister, Sylvester Graham (1794-1851), who was big on diet regimen.

[trichobezoar]

Thanks for the trivia, Pulpwood. : )


"Nerd [nurd]

The slang term nerd means an intelligent but single-minded person, obsessed with a certain hobby or pursuit, e.g. a computer nerd. But the word that has been the bane of so many elementary schoolers' existence was actually invented by their king: none other than Dr. Seuss himself! The word first appeared in print in Seuss' 1950 picture book, If I Ran the Zoo, though Seuss' 'nerd' is a small animal from the land of Ka-Troo, not a pale kid with glasses taped together."


Source: Discover nine novel English neologisms now

I am a nerd! lol

[HomeInMyShoes]

I'm more of a geek than a nerd.

[trichobezoar]

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

I'm more of a geek than a nerd.

I think I'm both really. I saw a diagram showing the difference between geek and nerd once. If I find it online, I'll post it here. It's quite interesting!

[HomeInMyShoes]

I had to look, I saw one with three intersecting circles of Intelligence, Social Ineptitude and Obsession. I'm not completely Socially Inept, just partially and the Internet exacerbates that. Definite geek to part nerd.

[HomeInMyShoes]

There are an estimated 3,000,000 lakes in Canada. And more than 31,000 lakes that are larger than three square kilometers.

[trichobezoar]

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

I had to look, I saw one with three intersecting circles of Intelligence, Social Ineptitude and Obsession. I'm not completely Socially Inept, just partially and the Internet exacerbates that. Definite geek to part nerd.

Hmm, the one I saw online was posted by a subscript programmer/student who was attending Harvard and it wasn't as disparaging as a lot of the charts/diagrams out there. If I find it, I'll definitely post it.

[trichobezoar]

Here's a blog about the differences between a nerd, dork and geek:

"Nerd, Dork or Geek?

December 12, 2011 Emily Keller

Recently, my friends and I have been debating the differences between the terms ‘nerd’, ‘geek’, and ‘dork’. What make someone one but not the other? Well[, a]fter some debate and the creation of a Venn Diagram, I’ve come to some conclusions.

Nerd: This includes extensive knowledge of strange, specific thing[s] along with a lack of interest in anything considered ‘cool’, ‘hip’ or ‘trendy’. Nerds are intelligent and have extensive knowledge [about] their fringe interests.

Geek: Geeks are usually interested in technology/ga[d]gets, but there can also be specific types of geeks (Harry Potter Geeks, Apple Product Geek, Political Geek, etc.). They are also very intelligent and have extensive knowledge on their particular interests, like Nerds, but often this can border on obsession.

Dork: Dorks are identifiable by a lame or outdated sense of humor, coupled with an extreme lack of social skills. Dorks are often silly and enjoy fri[n]ge interests, similar to Nerds.

...I like to think I’m a little bit of all three."


Source: http://digilib.bu.edu/blogs/mugarlib...-dork-or-geek/

[doubleshuffle]

The question is: Which of the three do you have to be to create such a diagram?

[Solitaire1]

In the original version of "Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs" none of the dwarfs are named.

Source: Wikipedia

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by trichobezoar

Here's a blog about the differences between a nerd, dork and geek:

"Nerd, Dork or Geek?

December 12, 2011 Emily Keller

Recently, my friends and I have been debating the differences between the terms ‘nerd’, ‘geek’, and ‘dork’. What make someone one but not the other? Well[, a]fter some debate and the creation of a Venn Diagram, I’ve come to some conclusions.

Nerd: This includes extensive knowledge of strange, specific thing[s] along with a lack of interest in anything considered ‘cool’, ‘hip’ or ‘trendy’. Nerds are intelligent and have extensive knowledge [about] their fringe interests.

Geek: Geeks are usually interested in technology/ga[d]gets, but there can also be specific types of geeks (Harry Potter Geeks, Apple Product Geek, Political Geek, etc.). They are also very intelligent and have extensive knowledge on their particular interests, like Nerds, but often this can border on obsession.

Dork: Dorks are identifiable by a lame or outdated sense of humor, coupled with an extreme lack of social skills. Dorks are often silly and enjoy fri[n]ge interests, similar to Nerds.

...I like to think I’m a little bit of all three."


Source: http://digilib.bu.edu/blogs/mugarlib...-dork-or-geek/

I have always heard that nerds are the ones with obsessions, and geeks have the fringe interests.

[trichobezoar]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

I have always heard that nerds are the ones with obsessions, and geeks have the fringe interests.

I think it depends on one's socioeconomic level and geographical location. For instance, I live in a poor neighborhood in a poor city in the Southwest. Not much nerd-like/geek-like activity going on... In fact, being a nerd or a geek is highly frowned upon. Because of the few nerds and geeks around, we're all lumped together and called nerds. lol This includes socially inept people (i.e., dorks), as well. All I know is that I've been called a nerd since my early teens... and rarely, if ever, a geek. According to the bit of information I've found online, however, I'm both. *shrug*

I think it's all relative.


EDIT: Also, if you look at the diagram, each category includes the obsessive trait.

[eschwartz]

Nope, it is shared between the dork and the geek, and specifically leaves out the one of the three that I heard is actually obsessive.

Same with the fringe interests -- your chart says two out of three, and I have heard the third only.


I do agree it is very difficult to actually agree on any sane terminology and it is mostly whatever anyone feels like it should mean at any given time.

[trichobezoar]

Originally Posted by trichobezoar

Also, if you look at the diagram, each category includes the obsessive trait.

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Nope, it is shared between the dork and the geek, and specifically leaves out the one of the three [(i.e., nerd)] that I heard is actually obsessive.

The section in the middle, labeled obsession, is the obsessive trait.

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Same with the fringe interests -- your chart says two out of three, and I have heard the third [(i.e., geek)] only.

You're right about the fringe interests... It's an imperfect chart! Maybe I'll create my own diagram based on extensive research someday. lol

[wodin]

Nerds, geeks, dorks; some of my favorite people!