Thread: Is there a word for "nerd" or "geek" in Russian?

i think many people now can say "гик" (borrowed)... Ботаник is someone seriously involved in studies (mostly science, but sometimes in humanities too) and, yes, very often lacking social skills (i'd say "ботаник" is a 20th century term, but 'гик' is a 21st century term). But one has to remember that geeks, nerds, ботаники suddenly appear to have social skills when they gather in companies where only nerds and geeks are present.

Just found out the definition for дрочка ... hehe!

Two related rhyming phrases for the interest/entertainment of us foreign learners -- the first is traditional; the second is from a poem by Иосиф Бродский.

Каждый дрочит, как он хочет. (lit, "Each one wanks as he wants" -- in other words, "Everyone has different tastes")

and

Между прочим, все мы дрочим. (lit., "By the way, we all wank")

To repeat what alexsms said, the word is quite rude -- so it's good to understand, but as a foreign student of Russian you should generally avoid using it!

P.S. English usage note for Russians: to my American ears, "wank" sounds rather mild and funny, but I believe it's ruder and more graphically sexual in UK English. It's the opposite for the US English "jack off" -- quite rude in the States, but milder in the UK, as far as I know. (Just one of the many differences in English depending on the side of the pond you're on...)

Originally Posted by diogen_

I really enjoy your definitions. Sorry, could you explain the distinctions among the words "jerk", "asshole" and "badass" in the same vain vein?

"Jerk" and "asshole" can be very similar, referring to someone who is rude, unpleasant, selfish, etc. "Asshole" may sometimes also suggest stupidity -- possibly because the first syllable sounds like "ass" as in "donkey," and donkeys are considered dumb. (However, note that "ass" meaning осёл and "ass" meaning жопа have totally unrelated etymologies.)

But the main difference between the two is that "asshole" is more vulgar. As far as know, "jerk" was originally shortened from "jerk off" (дрочить), but it has lost that "sexual" meaning and nowadays is "rude but not vulgar". So some English-speaking parents would be quite offended if you said "asshole" in front of their children, but "jerk" can safely be used around kids.

As to "badass," it's nearly always used positively -- or at least semi-positively, but it's never completely negative. It's someone who's cool, strong, kicks ass, and perhaps doesn't always follow the rules.

I mean, in an action movie, both the hero and the villain might be "badasses." But when you call the villain a "badass," it might suggest that he's not 100% evil, and perhaps has some sympathetic qualities that the audience likes. Or maybe he's 100% evil, but there's something "cool" about the character -- like he's a shapeshifting robot and can shoot lasers out of his eyes, or whatever.

So in the 1986 movie Aliens, for example, Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) AND the alien "queen mother" are both "badass" characters.

For that matter, the vaguely lesbian-ish female Marine "Private Vasquez" (Jenette Goldstein) was also very "badass" (even though she only had a small role), but Bill Paxton's character "Private Hudson" was totally NOT badass (he was a nice guy, but he whined too much -- even the little girl Newt was more badass than him!). And the evil corporate guy played by Paul Reiser wasn't "badass"; he was just a traitorous and cowardly asshole/jerk.

P.S. Maybe "крепкий орек" could translate "badass"? I'm not sure.
P.P.S. Since I mentioned Vasquez and Hudson from Aliens, I feel obliged to quote the classic dialogue:

HUDSON: Vasquez, have you ever been mistaken for a man?
VASQUEZ: No, have you?

Originally Posted by Throbert McGee

....
P.S. Maybe "крепкий орешек"? could translate ""? I'm not sure.

Большое спасибо за "политпросвет", как всегда информативно. Сленг - дело тонкое!

"Крепкий орешек", наверное, подойдет, но это сочетание слов - не слишком "на слуху". В моем понимании перевод badass "блуждает" где-то между "реальным пацаном", "крутым чуваком" и "настоящим мужиком". Пока ничего лучшего предложить не могу.
Варианты Мультитрана - "задира", "забияка", "неприятный человек". Все это, на мой взгляд, не совсем вяжется с твоим описанием, потому что данные русские слова употребляются чаще в негативном, а не позитивном контексте.

В моем понимании перевод badass "блуждает" где-то между "реальным пацаном", "крутым чуваком" и "настоящим мужиком".

It seems to me that all of those would work for a male "badass" like John McClane from Die Hard, but they wouldn't be suitable for Sarah Connor from Terminator 2: Judgment Day or Mystique from X-Men, to name two more Hollywood examples of "badass" women.

(Not all female heroes are "badass" -- I wouldn't put Jodie Foster's "Clarice Starling" from Silence of the Lambs in the "badass" category, even though I think Foster-as-Starling is in the Top 10 Greatest Movie Heroines of the past several decades. However, Clarice only used her gun once, and generally she followed the FBI's rules. But Sarah Connor [esp. as the character was developed in T2] is without doubt a badass heroine, and Mystique is a badass villainess -- their roles are more physically violent, and they break the rules a lot, which adds to their "badass" rating!)

P.S. Also, Clarice Starling had no крылатые выражения like "Get away from her, you bitch" or "Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker" or "I'm here to chew bubblegum and kick ass, and I'm all out of bubblegum" or "I ate his liver with fava beans and a nice chianti," etc. Having a quotable catchphrase can definitely add to your badass score...

Originally Posted by Throbert McGee

It seems to me that all of those would work for a male "badass" like John McClane from Die Hard, but they wouldn't be suitable for Sarah Connor from Terminator 2: Judgment Day or Mystique from X-Men, to name two more Hollywood examples of "badass" women.

Если "крутой чувак" прошел "госприемку", значит "крутая чувиха" тоже должна "прокатить". Другие варианты: угарная девчонка, бой-баба, крутая герла. Я так понимаю,тут должна быть "некрасовская" женщина, та что "коня на скаку остановит, в горящую избу войдет" в упаковке 21 века. Правильно?

Anyway, I'm not that sure whether I can qualify that guy in the song below ( "Tough merchant") as badass or asshole. Thoughts?


@Doomer Sorry , It IS impossible to evaluate Barb's ass on the photo you provided. I'm extremely disappointed. A fake!

увалень?

– Нет, вроде бы ничего не было, по крайней мере, я не знала. Он спокойный был, знаете, есть такой тип людей – увальни.

Example of American badass girl
Barb Wire
tumblr_m6xitgBQ5W1qbb166o3_500.jpg

However her ass is quite pleasant, not bad

Увалень is someone who's slow and clumsy, usually because they're hefty but not necessarily That's not a nerd or something

Зубрила.
"Гика" никогда не слышал.

гик - это калька то geek. Вообще есть в русском языке и нерды и гики, но если хотите по-русски - ботан.