Anorak (slang)
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In British slang, anorak has come to mean "nerd".
The word can be qualified by the area in which the person takes an (implied) excessive interest; for example, in education, a "timetabling anorak" would be someone who finds the process of timetabling classes fascinating. Recently, this word has come to mean a blend of the nerd cultures and is especially used to refer to the more obsessive science fiction fans.
There are two possible explanations for the evolution of this usage of the word.
The first (and probably best known) explanation is that it stems from the use of anoraks (a type of rain jacket) by train spotters. The term eventually came to be used to refer to anyone with an unfathomable and socially uncommon interest in seemingly trivial information generally regarded as boring by the rest of the population.
Another explanation holds that the usage is derived from the weatherproof upper clothing worn by enthusiasts of offshore radio who would, despite their lack of familiarity with maritime life, sometimes travel from British ports in small boats to visit the ships from which their outcast 'heroes' broadcast during the 1967–76 period. The collective impression of their brightly coloured garments in the coastal murk of the North Sea was presumably memorable to the crews of those 'pirate ships' who had restricted contact with the mainland due to the Marine Broadcasting Offences Act and the visits might have had an important morale-boosting role, although the wearers of the garments might often have regretted the discomfort of those sea-tossed journeys. In rough weather, the anoraks were far more visible than their distressed wearers, hence, they were identified by the style of their outer garments. The term was, reportedly, coined by Andy Archer, a disc jockey of the period. The usage became generalised to mean an obsessive enthusiast of any outdoor activity and later to mean an enthusiast of other unfashionable activities.
"Anorak" can also mean a supporter or fan of the English band Marillion.
