Anorak (slang)

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For the clothing article, see anorak.

In British slang an anorak is a person, typically a man, who has unfathomable interest in arcane, detailed information regarded as boring by the rest of the population, and who feels compelled to talk at length about this information to anyone within earshot.

In the United Kingdom, people who wear anoraks in their social life are often stereotyped as trainspotters or persons with unimaginative and dull pastimes/hobbies.

The closest American slang is perhaps nerd which is applied to bookish students. Anorak is not generally applied to students; and the anorak is more of a trivia-freak than an overly studious worker. A geek is a person typically expert at, and intensely focussed on, technical equipment, particularly computers; again this is not exactly an anorak — the anorak offers overly detailed discussion and arcane trivia on "hobbyist" topics.

The word can be qualified by the area in which the person takes an excessive interest; a "timetabling anorak" would be someone who finds the process of timetabling classes fascinating.

The ubiquitous nylon snorkel parka became synonymous with "anoraks" in the UK in the 1980s - no train spotter would go without one.

British Prime Minister John Major, derided by many for perceived dullness, was described by Anthony Seldon as an "obsessive political anorak."^[1]

Some classic anoraks are: classic car anoraks, hi-fi anoraks, and World War II aircraft anoraks. British outdoor pursuits such as birdwatching also qualify.

Younger people suggest that the word has come to mean a blend of the nerd cultures and is especially used to refer to the more obsessive science fiction fans. Here are two likely origins of the term:

The best known explanation is the use of anoraks (a type of rain jacket) by train spotters, a prototype group for unfathomable interest in detailed trivia.
Another explanation is that the usage derives from the weatherproof upper clothing worn by enthusiasts of offshore radio who would, despite their lack of familiarity with maritime life, sometimes travel from British ports in small boats to visit the ships from which their outcast 'heroes' broadcast during the 1967–76 period. The collective impression of their brightly colored garments in the coastal murk of the North Sea was presumably memorable to the crews of those 'pirate ships' who had restricted contact with the mainland due to the Marine Broadcasting Offences Act and the visits might have had an important morale-boosting role, although the wearers of the garments might often have regretted the discomfort of those sea-tossed journeys. In rough weather, the anoraks were far more visible than their distressed wearers, hence, they were identified by the style of their outer garments. The term was, reportedly, coined by Andy Archer, a disc jockey of the period. The usage became generalized to mean an obsessive enthusiast of any outdoor activity and later to mean an enthusiast of other unfashionable activities.

"Anorak" can also mean a supporter or fan of the English band Marillion.