Dork
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A dork is a person who is deemed 'quirky', 'different', or 'eccentric' by others of a purportedly higher social standing. A dork may be poorly adjusted to their environment or be otherwise out of touch with the local social scene. Similar words are nerd and geek.
In modern usage, the term can be applied without respect to the intelligence of the subject, but it has classically referred to those of sub-average intellect, an exception being when "dork" is used as a synonym for "nerd" and/or "geek." In that situation, high-intelligence (often of the bookish sort) but low social functioning is often indicated. A dork is often teased by most other kids in middle or high school.
[edit] Etymology
Contrary to some popular beliefs, the word "dork" does not mean a whale's penis [1]. It is more likely a variant of "dick", meaning therefore a human penis, not the penis of a cetacean[2].
[edit] Stereotype
The stereotypical dork image as seen in the mass media and cartoons equates to a young man wearing thick black eyeglasses (commonly broken and taped up with electrical or duct tape), pocket protectors, high-water pants and dress shirts or clothes generally too formal for the circumstances. Sometimes the stereotype lacks personal hygiene skills, and he will typically appear either very skinny or extremely fat. Stereotypical dorks usually lack social graces and the ability to perform social interaction, except conversations about technical topics, and they tend to talk very formally, especially with attractive girls or young women. Otherwise, they often end up being completely unable to talk at all. They also perform poorly in sports due to a lack of strength, stamina, adrenaline, muscle coordination and inclination to practice. Several characters in Americana, such as Wes Anderson, and the lead singer of Weezer, Rivers Cuomo, typify this idea of a dork. Anti-folk singer Adam Brodsky also promotes the concept of "dork pride".
