[Cadaverous Pallor]

Perhaps my particular group of nerds was extra sensitive to the term. We knew we were nerds but I recall that we only said it when we really wanted to cut into each other. It had a stone thrown in a glass house, pot calling the kettle black feel.

Our group was truly a loose association of outcasts who had been tossed from other groups, so "nerd" stung quite a bit. I think "dork" was a more affectionate, joking term.