Propeller-heads

Propeller-heads is a term used to describe people who are really into computers. To put it bluntly, they are what many of us would call nerds. Propeller-head is specifically used by computer folks to describe a sub-group within their population. It is, therefore, a part of the computer industry's jargon.

URLs:

Hackers Jargon 3.2.0 - HTML version

A comprehensive compendium of hacker slang

The WWW Jargon File

"The Jargon File is primarily a lexicon, but also includes 'topic entries' which collect background or sidelight information on hacker culture" - Hans de Wolf

Detail:

The extreme interest a lot of people have in hacker's jargon reminds me of the title of a movie I never saw: Revenge of the Nerds. I remember the time when non-computer science types scoffed at their pocket-protector clad counterparts, but considering that this so-called geekish population has brought us the Internet, WWW, and all other sorts of fun tools, I think it's time we showed them some respect. And for those of you who'd rather watch an episode of Friends than surf the Web and think that these people are like, so totally NOT cool, I can only offer this advice: learn to like these guys, because sooner or later, you'll probably be working for them.

As is the case with other intelligent sub-populations, hackers have created a rich vocabulary that describes themselves and what they do in detail. Some other fun words I found when investigating propeller-heads are:

• computer geek -- A synonym of propeller-heads. It is used only among computer people in their own population, and would be considered an insult if it came from an outsider.
• geek out -- Used as an apology by technical types in non-technical environments, when they want to discuss some complex computer subject. For example: "Excuse me while I geek out".
• luser -- a combination of loser and user. Pronounced like loser.