Comments on: I’ll never kiss my geek again if that is the definition of geek…

By: Jim Thomsen

Jim Thomsen — Sun, 30 Jan 2005 00:12:05 +0000

I once had business cards printed up: “Jim Thomsen, News Geek.” People I didn’t even know would ask me for them … they were THAT popular. Which is definitely NOt a geek trait. Now I’m more confused about my identity than ever.

By: Bob V

Bob V — Sat, 29 Jan 2005 21:47:32 +0000

Julie,
http://www.etymonline.com/ is a nice place to spend one’s time. Their listing for geek is:

“sideshow freak,” 1916, U.S. carnival and circus slang, perhaps a variant of geck “a fool, dupe, simpleton” (1515), apparently from Low Ger. geck, from an imitative verb found in North Sea Gmc. and Scand. meaning “to croak, cackle,” and also “to mock, cheat.” The modern form and the popular use with ref. to circus sideshow “wild men” is from 1946, in William Lindsay Gresham’s novel “Nightmare Alley” (made into a film in 1947 starring Tyrone Power).

(By the way, sorry about my multi-month hiatus from here. I was undergoing a radical career change.)
Bob V

By: jenny

jenny — Sat, 29 Jan 2005 07:50:36 +0000

That’s cute:)