The OED (@OEDonline) has been tweeting on geeks today.
The word ‘geek’ was first applied to overly diligent students in the 1950s, and to computer obsessives from around 1984.
However, as early as 1876 ‘geek’ was an English regional (northern) term for a foolish, offensive, or worthless fellow…
In 1920’s U.S. slang, ‘geek’ also meant a circus performer with a bizarre or grotesque act, such as biting the head off a live animal.
I never thought of Ozzy as a geek, but there you go. Maybe they’ll do nerds tomorrow.
Image courtesy of BigStock.