Chris O'Neill wrote:
>
> On 9 Nov 2001, at 18:20, Chris Barker wrote:
>
> > Lucky chap Marc. Mind you, I don't let my lovely wife read my OM
> > posts, as it would confirm me in her eyes as an anorak.
>
> The Merriam-Webster's Online Collegiate Dictionary (http://www.m-
> w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary) defines an anorak as "a usually pullover
> hooded jacket long enough to cover the hips" which in the context
> you're using the word doesn't make a bit of sense.
>
> Definition, please????
>
Hey, don't tell me 'anorak' as Chris means it is not used across the
pond?? It's a, shall we say, affectionately derogatory term for someone
who spends far too much time enquiring after and committing to memory
the minutiae of some chosen hobby (sound familiar anyone?). As far as
the etymology goes, I believe it originates with trainspotters, who are
known to stand on rainy railway stations for long hours ticking off
numbers, and wear anoraks to fend off the weather (ha, there's the clue
as to why it's a British word, eh?).
Roger
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