Is there an equivalent of a nerd or geek in Italian?

From an on-line English-Italian dictionary (www.wordreference.com):

geek (nerd) adj strano (tipo strano)
geek (skilled with PC) adj capace con i PC
geek (unpopular) adj impopolare

Thanks Eloise. I was actually looking for a more idiomatic equivalent though.

I mean, in English I could say someone is good with computers, but "nerd" conveys a slightly different feeling.

Nerd in Italian is "nerd"!
The only idiomatic word that I can think of has nothing to do with being good with computers but only refers to being unpopular, not good looking, graceless is "sfigato" used as a noun (otherwise it means unlucky).
È uno sfigato = He's a "nerd"
È sfigato = He's unlucky
I hope I got the "slightly different feeling" right!
The word is not especially polite... sorry!

If 'nerd' is also skilled with PC...maybe 'è un mago del computer' sounds good!

Ciao

Corinna

Nerd in Italian is "secchione".

It is not exactly the same meaning but it comes close.

Good one Romana!
Secchione is a guy that studies a lot and because of that is unpopular.

Giulia, if I am not mistaken that's the primary meening of Nerd.

It is not strictly related to computers or such.

I'm more familiar with the computer-related hint but you're most probably right.
I was defining the word "secchione" so that everybody will be able to verify if they consider that it's the translation they're looking for.

I think sfigato best translates to "uncool" or "lame." Oddly enough figato doesn't really exist (at least I never heard it), but fegato does and means "liver," and figata does too, used as a noun meaning "it's cool" or "it's a deal". I had a roomate get a new laptop and his first words were "è una figata, eh?"

Figo/ganzo also mean "cool". Careful using figo as an adjective, because the feminine "figa" means something entirely different, and more vulgar. One thing that always tripped me up is attempting to call a feminine object "cool" .. can someone help me out on this one? I wouldn't ever say "quella macchina è figa" right? I've always worked around that by just alluding to the object and saying "Che figo!" .. is this correct?

This thread reminds me of a song I happen to love:

quote:

Fossi figo tutti i giorni sarei in palestra.
fossi figo starei ignudo alla finestra.
Fossi figo sarei il principe dell'adduttore,
sarei il re dell'addominale,
sarei il re della finestra.

Che figata di post!!!
How to call a feminine object "cool"... well, you can actually say "quella macchina è figa" as it's quite clear that the word here is the feminine of "figo" Probably you'd say: "è una figata" or "è fighissima" just to make it even clearer!

Fighissima Ultra-fig!

Sfigato has no reation to fegato. it has relation to fig, which if declined at the feminine does not mean a fruit.

Jacopo Fo, Dario Fo's son, once commented that in italian something really bad is a "cazzata", with obvious reference to the make member, while something really cool is "una figata".

I was just riffing off the similarities between sfigato/figato/figata/fegato and how they all mean different things (or, in figato's case, it has no meaning at all!).

As for cazzata/figata, consider it woman's lib!

About the cazzata/figata...
I'm really proud of the Italian language because of it, most of all considering that in Spainsh it's exactly the other way round:
coñazo (fem.) is boring
cojonudo (masc.) is great
shame on them!

Hi, the contrary of "sfigato" according to me is "dritto".

So you can say "quello è uno sfigato" and the opposite would "quello è un dritto".

According to me "figo, sghicio e ganzo" are more about the look and style while "sfigato" is more about success. So there can be a figo sfigato.

quote:

Originally posted by Romana:
Giulia, if I am not mistaken that's the primary meening of Nerd.

It is not strictly related to computers or such.

You are correct a "nerd" is someone who is anti social and lacks of social graces. He is not real comfortable around people. A nerd may be very intelligent for very dumb.

A geek is usually very intelligent and shares a lot of the same characteristics of a nerd. A geek is almost always good at computers. A geek used to be the name for a man that bites heads of of chickens.

Then there is dweeb and spaz. They too share many of the characteristics of a nerd but have the additional characteristic of some where things never go right for them.

Following spinnaker's definitions of nerd, geek, dweeb and spaz (never heard of the last two ) I would resume the issue as follows:
nerd= uno sfigato
geek= un secchione
dweeb/spaz= sfigato

I disagree. Nerd is definitely secchione. Nerd implies heightened intelligence as being the cause for not fitting in. Remember "Revenge of the Nerds"? IIRC in that movie all the nerds were pretty brainy.

Dweeb is for sure sfigato. Spaz is someone with way too much energy, someone frenetico. I'd probably just use pazzo.

quote:

A geek used to be the name for a man that bites heads of of chickens.

I'd like to correct this, I tried to edit my original message but it did not take.

A geek used to be the name for a man that bites heads of of chickens at American carnivals. An American carnival is more of a mini circus, an event filled with exhibitions, amusement rides and games of skill. We still have carnivals and I am sure geeks still attend, they are just not part of the act.

There used to be a man that would stick his head through a hole in a tent and people would throw at his head. Just can't seem to remember the name for this person.

A similar situation came up years ago when I first went to Italy from Texas and was trying to describe rednecks. I used the phrase "collo rosso" and then demonstrated by spitting and speaking italian with a big Texas accent. Needless to say, my Italian buddies in Corbetta adopted the phrase at least while I was there.

Hey Darren
what's a "redneck"? or "collo rosso" if you prefer

A "red neck" is someone usually of limited education and culture. A "red neck" is usually white and prejudice against non whites. A red neck will usually drive a pickup truck with a shotgun rack and have an open container of alcohol (usually beer)in the truck with him. He probably chews tobacco.

The term has really changed over the years as a red neck used to be a derogatory term for farmer. They got name name because many farmers had a sunburn on the back of their neck having their head bent over while tending the crops. Farmers of years gone by may not have been very cultured or educated but were probably the hardest working people that ever came from the U.S. Along with miners, our country would have never survived (and continue) without these hard working people.

A red neck from Texas is also referred to as a Good ol' Boy (Good Old Boy).

Thank you spinnaker! I got the idea!

nerd = sfigato