Geek/Nerd/Boffin

Geek: A geek is someone who is unusually enthusiastic about a specific topic, sometimes an unusual topic, such as computing, science, maths or painting tiny models from Lord of the Rings. Boffin: A term used almost exclusively in the UK to affectionately refer to an expert or egghead. This term originated from the 'back room boys' in the second world war who were, amongst other things, operating radar and trying to break the german enigma code. Nerd: Someone who has difficulty negotiating social situations. The term has strong negative connotations and is mostly used as an insult. Nerd is often used interchangably with geek and it is true that many people are both but they mean different things.