Titanorak

[J Burdette]

Titanorak? Can't say that I've ever heard the term before until a few weeks ago. When referring to a person with an interest in Titanic, I've always heard 'Titanic Enthusiast' or something similar to that. Which is the proper term? Personally, I don't care for the term 'Titanorak', but that's just me. But then again perhaps it doesn't matter to some. What do you all think? Enthusiast or Anorak?

 

[Paul Lee]

Anorak is so horribly derogatory. It seems to have originated in 1991 when the BBC produced a mini documentary on the TV series "Dr.Who"; the narration was attributed to "An Anorak" - in the UK, people who wear such garments are usually attributed to train spotters; people who spend their spare time standing on railway bridges with thermoses of tea and coffee, wrapped up sandwiches, jotting down train numbers in a little notepad. The stereotype is of someone who is greasy, smelly, spotty, wears thick lensed glasses with enamelled frames and has no social skills. Dr.Who fans were incensed, and now it seems that anyone with an interest or obsession beyond the norm is labelled in such a fashion.

 

[J Burdette]

Now that you've informed me of the term's history, I detest the label 'Titanorack'. Thank you for that.

 

[Bob Godfrey]

It goes back further than that, Paul. I've been called an 'anorak' since the '80s at least, though I've never worn one - I can generally be observed wearing a variety of cheap, scruffy and unfashionable army-surplus type jackets and that's enough to fit the bill. Especially if the wearer is an eccentric, and in that respect I certainly fit the bill!

As for Titanic enthusiasts, I'd say the most-used term here on ET is 'Titaniac'.

 

[Paul Lee]

Hi Bob,
You're probably right, I was just thinking of the first occasion was the work "Anorak" was used to denote someone with a bizarre interest. At Uni c1.1990-3,
we physicists were called "spods" - an equally dismissive, but not (IMHO) as offensive a term.

 

[J Burdette]

@ Bob: Ah, so I'll refer to myself as a Titaniac, then.

 

[Paul Lee]

The only other phrase I've heard to describe us is "Titanaholic"

 

[J Burdette]

The only other phrase I've heard to describe us is "Titanaholic"

Makes it sound like I'm addicted to Titanic XD

 

[Brad Rousse]

I've always heard (and used) buff. Maybe "enthusiast," but I've usually been described as a Titanic buff, which is fine with me. Some of these other names are completely new to me.

As for "Titanorak", keep in mind where Julian's coming from as a British TV producer, and you can see why he coined the term. Besides, I have my own black badge of fandom (Trekkie).