The origin of the word Geek
Darlings, let’s talk about a word that has taken over the world like Botox took over Hollywood: Geek. Yes, geek! Once upon a time, it was the last thing you’d want to be called. Now? Oh, now it’s a badge of honor! What’s next? Loser being the new CEO? But I digress—let’s get into the fabulous, twisted, bizarre origin of the word geek.
The history
Now, the first time I heard the word geek—I thought it was something you caught in a frat house bathroom. “Ugh, I’m sorry, I have a bad case of the geeks.” You know, something you’d need a shot for. But no, no! It turns out it was worse than that! Back in the good ol’ days of the circus (think old-school freak shows, darling, not your family reunion), a geek was someone who bit the heads off live chickens. Yes, you heard me right—actual chickens! Can you imagine? These poor souls, known as geeks, were hired to do the most grotesque, appalling things just to shock people. And honey, let me tell you, I’ve done shocking things in my career, but never once have I considered a chicken head appetizer!
Picture this: You pay to go see the circus, there’s a guy on stage who’s chomping down on a clucking bird, and people are sitting there like it’s dinner and a show. That’s how you got the original geek. It was all about the sideshow—someone who was willing to do the insane, the outrageous, and frankly, the disgusting, just for attention. Kinda like most of Hollywood now, if I’m being honest!
But here’s the thing, darling, the word geek didn’t stay in the freak show tent! No, no—just like I didn’t stay in Catskills comedy clubs. It evolved! In the 20th century, around the time nerds were being shoved into lockers, the word geek started being used to describe people obsessed with certain intellectual or technical pursuits. But instead of biting heads off chickens, these new geeks were obsessed with technology, science fiction, comic books—you know, things that were once seen as tragically uncool! They were the people who actually understood what Windows 95 was for and could reprogram a VCR without calling tech support.
Fast forward to today, and geek is practically a compliment! The techies have taken over the world, sweetie.
Who’s laughing now?
The geeks are ruling Silicon Valley, and everyone else is too busy lining up to buy their overpriced iPhones to notice. I mean, geek is now shorthand for brilliant, unique, and innovative! Hell, if you’re not a geek in 2024, you’re basically a relic. In fact, nowadays, being called a geek can get you a seven-figure salary and your own streaming platform. And if that’s what a geek gets, honey, call me the Queen of Geekdom—I’ll wear the crown proudly!
So there you have it, folks—the glorious, weird, and totally fabulous origin of geek. From circus freaks to tech royalty!
Inspired??
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