Okay, what does a Nerkle, a Nerd and a Seersucker have in common? Anyone?
These creatures, along with a Preep and a Proo, mark the first recorded use of the word "Nerd". The date was 1950, and the author was none other than the venerable Dr. Suess. The book was If I Ran the Zoo, and the line reads, "And then, just to show them, I'll sail to Ka-Troo And Bring Back an It-Kutch a Preep and a Proo A Nerkle a Nerd and a Seersucker, too!" . Now, can you possibly think of any more honorable lineage for a nerd than straight from the pen of Dr. Suess? I feel like royalty.
This title certainly tops other terms used to describe the nerd type. A geek, for example, can trace its roots to a circus performer that bit the heads off of chickens. Definitely not a choice model. There are others, but I won't repeat them here for fear of mixed company…
Of course, things could have just as easily gone another way. Could you imagine reading NerkleBeach?
