Wannabe Nerd

A wannabe nerd is someone that is similar to a geek as in they are not as intelligent as a regular nerd however, a wannabe nerd is someone who is most likely an arrogant jerk whom will constantly try to boast his or her intelligence in your face. A wannabe nerd usually is well aware that they are not nearly as intellectual as they claim, which therefore causes them utmost insecurity which ultimately results increased bragging. Wannabe nerds are often hard to detect, as to the casual non-nerdy observer, they may appear to be highly intellectual. However, any true nerd is capable of making the distinction. Wannabe Nerds are often characterized by their arrogance, "Smarter than you" attitude, claiming extreme interest and talent in subjects which they obviously understand minuscule amounts of, and their (often improper) use of extravagant words in order to make themselves appear smarter.

1. n. An individual who does nerdy stuff like playing 8 hours of WoW a day, but is not smart. Usually the lowest of the low, seeing as real nerds don't need to act that nerdy.

A nerd wannabe is an ironic kind of person whose parents are usually doctors, lawyers, or CEO's but who claims to be super nerdy. Generally, this kind of person finds the phrase, "work hard, play hard" magnitizing, since he or she does not actually give a shit about being productive or innovative for its own sake. Nerd wannabes wear expensive clothes, act exclusively, and do whatever makes their college resume look better. At elite institutions, which exist at all levels of educational attainment in the US, they perform superiorly to many true nerds due to a host of invisible social advantages, originating with their circle of friends, their parents, and with other privileged people who generally favor them over, especially, a true nerd from a poor or rural area.

They are probably invested in the nerd mythos for the promise of wealth and power, and the veneer also reduces the social tensions that would arise from other people finding out that nerd wannabes are not actually biologically superior. These strange imposters care little about working hard in order to learn, and they trade notes and cheat at every opportunity.

They are easy to identify. Look for a moderately sized group of high achievers with excellent social skills, where absolutely none of whom exhibit OCD, Aspergers, ADHD, etc, which might be a source of mutant intelligence for some true nerds. This group also rejects diversity as much as jocks. But not gay kids because that's not PC.