Are you a geek about IT, TV, comics, books, fantasy or sci-fi? Or do you prefer not to be categorized? However you define yourself, you cannot outrun geekdom’s influence on our culture, especially in terms of its profound effect on language.
Geeks, nerds, and those who aren’t are not all made from the same mold. Their multifarious interests have sparked entire “dialects.” So how can Annie Wan from down the street keep up?
Clearly she can’t. But wouldn’t it be nice to learn a few words that might just make you sound way hipper than you are?
The following expressions are drawn from different genres, from where they swiftly made their way into the mainstream. If you finally want to join in the conversation, read on for some 101 definitions.
Enjoy!
Meme
In 1976, Richard Dawkins coined the term ‘meme’ in his book ‘The Selfish Gene.’ You’ve seen it around, but what the heck does it mean?
Firstly, it’s pronounced meem, not me-me. The theory that pertains to memes is called ‘memetics.’ Its roots lie in the Greek word for ‘pretender, imitator.’ Dawkins used the word to describe a unit of culture which is conceived in one mind and can be transferred to other organisms, the way genes which carry vital information are transferred from generation to generation. Nowadays, pictures with a specific motive, like three people arranged like the three See No Evil monkeys, videos, acronyms, phrases or even hashtags may be memes, provided they ‘catch on.’
Linux
Outside of Canada (“Linnooks”), it would appear the correct pronunciation is “Linnex.” Linux is an open-source operating system, that is to say its source code is open to be manipulated, copied and distributed by everyone. Many avid Linux users declare war on Microsoft for their monopoly-type grasp on operating systems and associated applications.
WYSIWYG
If you run your own website, there’s a good chance you’ve come across this. It stands for ‘what you see is what you get.’ Once upon a time, the only way for Avery Wan from next door to tell a website how it should look was by way of HTML. In order to embolden a word, for example, it would be preceded by a “” and followed by a “.” Highly laborious. Today, you highlight a word and click a “B” button. Done. You no longer have to wade through funny code. Instead, you see what you get. As for pronouncing it, I’ve only ever heard it as “wizzy-wig.”
Mana
Mana, say: “Mawna,” is a term denoting a kind of currency that relates exactly to how much magic a computer game character can expend on spells etc. Research suggests the term originates from a number of Pacific languages, where it means “thunder” or “storm.”
Cosplay
A portmanteau of costume and play. The idea has been around for ages, of course, but in today’s culture it mainly relates to dressing up as characters from anime, TV, comics etc. If you believe cosplay is limited to comicons, you’re wrong. The cosplay community numbers in the millions and is highly active on the Internet. Some cosplayers have turned their hobby into lucrative businesses and can be hired for special appearances.
Lolcats
A composite word of ‘LOL’ (laugh out loud) and, well, ‘cats.’ Lolcats are photos of cats with text added, generally with bad spelling for humorous effect. One example is the now infamous I CAN HAZ CHEEZBURGER? I’ve also seen it used to describe people who distribute these cat/text pictures.
tl;dr
tl;dr (often simply ‘tldr’) stands for ‘too long; didn’t read.’ The appropriate comment when one of my posts veers from the mildly interesting into the inane, before I finally get to the point. Actually, it’s considered unhelpful or downright rude to comment on someone’s post this way. As with most words, it has evolved since it was first coined. While its original usage still applies, it’s now often found at the beginning, toward the end or in lieu of a long explanation/update; as a self-invoked disclaimer and to indicate a summary, if you will.
YOLO
This term was possibly first mentioned on an NBC reality show, of all places. The acronym stands for ‘You Only Live Once.’ Its main usage today is to announce an exciting event or perhaps to excuse unacceptable or irresponsible behavior, e.g. with a hashtag on Twitter. As an aside, its rampant spread through the Internet also turned this into a meme, like many of the other entries here.
Catfish
The verb ‘catfish’ relates to the creation of social media or forum accounts under a false identity, often for the purpose of forming relationships. Apparently the term stems from a Norwegian custom where fisherman added a catfish into their tank of live sardines (or whatever they were hauling) to keep the sardines moving and thus healthy.
This collection represents my interpretation of how these terms are used. I might be wrong, in which case please let me know. The list is also in no way exhaustive, so if you can think of expressions not covered here, please post them as comments. I’m sure we’d all like to know.
PS: Annie Wan (anyone) and Avery Wan (everyone) are my attempt of twisting the traditional “Joe Average.” Hope it didn’t confuse.