Freak

A freak [ fɹi: k] (from the English freak, " crippled, crazy, Abnormal " but also " enthusiast " ) in today's vernacular generally a person who is a certain thing, such as a hobby, excessive or over "normal" level also operates, this thing makes life mission or at least knows more than others in it ( for example, a computer geek ). Life and lifestyle of freaks may differ from that of a average citizen and be aware individual, conformist, different or " funky ". The corresponding adjective is freaky, freaky is also widespread.

Conceptual history

In English, the term originally meant "freak ". Especially in the U.S., the importance in the 19th century to a "freak of nature" ( freak of nature ) was concentrated; in the 19th century freak shows attracted over the years the markets in which people such as short stature or " dwarfs ", " the woman with a beard ", " the Zyklopenjunge ", the " lady without abdomen ", " the most powerful man in the world " were issued, inter alia. Also, the Elephant Man Joseph Merrick drew some time around with such a " freak show ". Director Tod Browning has these people in his horror film classic Freaks (1932, with malformed amateur actors ) a monument. In the 30s it was to public displays of " malformed " People in Germany banned by the Nazi regime.

From about the 1960s were referred as well as social dropouts and supporters of an alternative way of life, see, eg, the comic The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers. In Los Angeles, the early hippies were called freaks. The first album by the Mothers of Invention was called Freak Out! and " a celebration of the freaks and their lifestyle " is described by the music critic Barry Miles as. In a document accompanying the album liner notes Frank Zappa " writes On the personal level is freaking out a process in which overtook an individual and wipes restrictive standards in terms of thinking of clothes and social etiquette, a CREATIVE expression of his relationship with his immediate environment (...) to find. "

In modern English usage, the word may, depending on the context certainly still be considered an insult, but it now outweighs even here the benevolent variant - see for example the novel and its film adaptations Freaky Friday or the animated series Freakazoid! .

In a technical context, for example, as an abbreviation for computer whiz, the term is used today benevolent appreciation also in German.

Other examples are:

• The title " Le Freak " by the group "Chic" ( chorus: " freak out, le freak, c'est chic" ) reached No. 1 in many countries and is until today - 29 years after the publication (July 2007) - the best-selling single of the record company WEA.
• As a freak States, the Americans call the U.S. states of Hawaii and Alaska.
• The evangelical youth movement Jesus freaks interprets the term in the sense of their religious imagination.
• In The Model and the Freak a socially incompetent " freak" a socially competent model is compared with that will solve him from his freak - existence.

Related terms

• Special names for computer geeks are nerd, geek or otaku ( Japanese).
• Phreaking, a portmanteau of phone and freak called manipulation of the telephone line to make calls free of charge.