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Where Does the Word “Nerd” Come From?

What’s the origin of the word nerd, referring to “an unfashionable person”? Does it come from Dr. Seuss’s book If I Ran the Zoo? (Amazon). Incidentally, a nerdle is a dollop of toothpaste on a toothbrush. Sometimes spelled nurdle, this slang term also denotes a styrofoam pellet. This is part of a complete episode.

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