Spot the frippet: geek

What's a geek?

Well, the Collins dictionary defines a geek as someone who's obsessed with computing, or else a boring, unattractive misfit.

I do think that's a bit harsh.

For one thing, surely a geek can be obsessive about...well, all sorts of things. Railway engines. Twentieth century telegraph poles. The history of the tumble dryer.

As for being unattractive, haven't they heard of geek chic? They should have done, because it has nearly three and a half million hits on Google.

You know, I really think some geek needs to start a GEEK PRIDE movement.

Only trouble is, they'd all be too busy cataloguing their collections of 1930s handlebars to join it.

Spot the frippet: geek. These are a real challenge to spot, but you may find you have one lurking in a foetid bedroom somewhere.

If not, try your nearest computer shop.

The word comes from the Scottish word geck, and before that from the Middle Low German. I'm afraid it means fool in both languages.