Origin of the term Fanboy

[Bob Loblaw]

By Jove, I think he's almost got it. All it needs is a couple more smarmy admonishments for others to go ride their bikes instead of posting opinions that he disagrees with..

Yo Hater Dude! You might want to re-read the thread title, and curb your dogma a little. You're pretty far off topic.

 

[Martin318is]

Yo Hater Dude! You might want to re-read the thread title, and curb your dogma a little. You're pretty far off topic.

With respect, BroDeal was only responding to a post someone else had written on the term "Hater" and it is pretty clear that the terms Fanboy and Hater are two extremist sides of the same coin. So while it is pulling things out of line a little it is hardly a case of him taking things far off topic.

That said, if you have a problem with a particular post, then report it to the moderators.

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

have u heard it being used outside of this forum?

Yes. And check out google. It is a fairly common term.

The whole world does not revolve around this forum....

Susan

 

[Kvinto]

have u heard it being used outside of this forum?

Yes I have, but only in the internet (not only on this forum) and you can find it in the urban dictonary. That's why I call this term a slang

 

[simo1733]

I don't think anyone gets's labelled as a Fanboy unless that are a Hater as well.
On the other hand you can be a Hater without being a Fanboy.(A particularly miserable breed)

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Yes I have, but only in the internet (not only on this forum) and you can find it in the urban dictonary. That's why I call this term a slang

I have look around before asking this question, and i just wanted to know whether it was being used by ppl on the street.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Yes. And check out google. It is a fairly common term.

The whole world does not revolve around this forum....

Susan

I didnt say the whole world revolves around this forum...its good to know that ppl on the street use it, i learn new things everyday.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

In the op i should have said outside of this forum and the internet.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

With respect, BroDeal was only responding to a post someone else had written on the term "Hater" and it is pretty clear that the terms Fanboy and Hater are two extremist sides of the same coin. So while it is pulling things out of line a little it is hardly a case of him taking things far off topic.

That said, if you have a problem with a particular post, then report it to the moderators.

Well gee, I'm just a little confused. Maybe you can help. Is he a Fanboy, or a Hater?

 

[Midnightfright]

Do we have Fangirls as well as fan boys? Or are the fairer race more objective? Also for future refrence I'm nearly 30 so would rather be called a Fanman . I get called a boy enough when I act silly and immature by girlfriend( hopefully soon to he Fiancee)

 

[Kvinto]

I have look around before asking this question, and i just wanted to know whether it was being used by ppl on the street.

The use of such words is limited by some social groups of ppl and it's hard to find the origin though it may be simply the internet. If this word exist then somebody definitely use it (not only in the internet). But this "somebody" doesn't refer to a random english-speaking country but to an exact group of ppl which i guess you're trying to find. As for me I live in the Ukrainian-speaking society so this term is definitely not being used here.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Do we have Fangirls as well as fan boys? Or are the fairer race more objective? Also for future refrence I'm nearly 30 so would rather be called a Fanman . I get called a boy enough when I act silly and immature by girlfriend( hopefully soon to he Fiancee)

Nicely done

 

[gregod]

Just because you saw it here first doesnt make it so.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanboy (scroll down to the entry on that page)

Also, I have regularly seen it used in IT forums since the mid 2000's in reference particularly to Apple customers, etc. I picked up the term from American colleagues around that time but I never saw it used in Australia or the UK by anyone who wasn't American. Perhaps it was actually just a coincidental subset of Americans who were frequenters of IT forums...

Either way, it pre-existed this forum by a long way

that's where i remember the first time reading it. back in the old days (geez, 20 years ago!) on the listservs, mac vs. pc. it was almost difficult being a mac fan back then.

 

[Stingray34]

Maybe I just think I write in English. The term is now used by one of the most respected broadsheet newspapers in Australia, and not merely as a quote: the journalist themself uses the term as a common noun. See page 1.

 

[rickshaw]

Historically speaking

The OED says the term fan, fann or phan is "... a jocular abbreviation of the word FANATIC." Its use was first noted about 1680 AD.

The word "boy" has often been joined to other words as in "paperboy", "newsboy" etc to denote a young person with a specific job.

In the word "fanboy", the "boy" part may go back to a racially motivated term of derision. Referring to an adult male of color as "boy" was intended to demean and dehumanize the person. Similarly the British English term "rentboy" is intended to objectify and demean the person.

Personally I think use of catchall slang terms like "fanboy" or "hater" is simply an excuse for being inarticulate, perhaps due to a poor education or disadvantaged social roots.

... but that's just me.

 

[Martin318is]

Maybe, but I know many people that happily label themselves as fanboys. I believe Stephen Fry refers to himself as an Apple Fanboy, for instance.

 

[Boeing]

I think it comes from the computer gaming world. a term for one of those nerds who is absolutely loyal to one game or one gaming company because of that game.

 

[Martin318is]

just for info - just watched a programme and during it an interviewer was asking Seth Greene about the FanBoys and ComicCon. no mention of CyclingNews or cyclling though....

 

[Mambo95]

I think it comes from the computer gaming world. a term for one of those nerds who is absolutely loyal to one game or one gaming company because of that game.

Yeah, it's from US - gaming/comic book/sci-fi nerds. It was originally to describe the sort of obsessive people who go to conventions dressed up as their favourite character.

The word's been around for ages. It was even the title of a film a few years ago.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

I have look around before asking this question, and i just wanted to know whether it was being used by ppl on the street.

It's used every so often in my friend circle. Although the term 'Hater' occurs more often...