They’ve always existed, they just have been given a label in recent times. Can’t say what they were like that long ago since there was no internet and I wasn’t alive until '85. I’m guessing they were just seemingly regular miserable bastards instead of the loud obnoxious ones you see online, since they had no platform to be loud about their bullshit. Or they were straight up rapists.
GenX here. We had a plethora of other names: nerd (before it was desirable to be labeled that), dweeb, dweeblet, dillweed, dillhole, dork, dorkwad, goober, he-hasnt-had-pussy-since-pussy-had-him, dolt, bozo, numpty, schlub, git
Goober? Ive usually only seen that one used as a sort of endearing tease between friends accusing the other of being silly, never seen it used to describe either a person’s love life or their politics.
They’ve always existed, they just have been given a label in recent times. Can’t say what they were like that long ago since there was no internet and I wasn’t alive until '85. I’m guessing they were just seemingly regular miserable bastards instead of the loud obnoxious ones you see online, since they had no platform to be loud about their bullshit. Or they were straight up rapists.
GenX here. We had a plethora of other names: nerd (before it was desirable to be labeled that), dweeb, dweeblet, dillweed, dillhole, dork, dorkwad, goober, he-hasnt-had-pussy-since-pussy-had-him, dolt, bozo, numpty, schlub, git
They still get called these things, but none of them are truly descriptive of the specific kind of dweeb, dillhole, goober, bozo, etc an incel is.
I mean, those words also describe most right-wingers.
Goober? Ive usually only seen that one used as a sort of endearing tease between friends accusing the other of being silly, never seen it used to describe either a person’s love life or their politics.
It used to be synonymous with “idiot.” I much prefer the modern usage. I’m a bit of a goober myself. 🤪
Those are all fantastic words, but for a direct translation of incel, I’d go with weirdo.