Where does the word nerd come from? Difference between a geek and a nerd?

nerd

nəːd/

noun

informal: a foolish or contemptible person who lacks social skills or is boringly studious. Single minded, expert: 

"I was a serious nerd until I discovered girls and cars"

synonyms: bore, dull person; "a computer nerd"

'Contemptible' seems a little harsh on those of us who might reluctantly cop a plea to 'boringly studious.' Not that Mr Zuckerberg will be crying himself to sleep over it. 

Where does the word nerd come from? 

For the origin we are indebted (again) to the magnificent Dr Seuss.

The first documented appearance of the word "nerd" is as the name of a creature in Dr. Seuss's book If I Ran the Zoo (1950), in which the narrator Gerald McGrew claims that he would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too" for his imaginary zoo.[3][5][6] The slang meaning of the term dates back to 1951, when Newsweek magazine reported on its popular use as a synonym for "drip" or "square" in Detroit, Michigan.[7] By the early 1960s, usage of the term had spread throughout the United States, and even as far as Scotland.[8][9

Usage increased steadily throughout the 60s - with Sci-Fi writer - and uber-nerd - Phillip K Dick, even claiming to invent a new spelling ('nurd'). But the nerd entered the mainstream in the 1970s via frequent  appearances in the popular comedy series, Happy Days. 

Difference between a nerd and a geek?

And a hipster?

A hipster might happily endorse the 'contemptible' label for nerds. But an aspiring hipster can look pretty nerdish to the untrained eye ..... 

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