(UK, slang) A person with an unusual or obsessive interest in a niche subject, especially trains.
(UK, slang) A person with an unusual or obsessive interest in a niche subject, especially trains.
Anorak means: A person with an unusual or obsessive interest in a niche subject, especially trains.. It is informal slang, fine in casual speech but not suited to formal contexts. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
Anorak means: A person with an unusual or obsessive interest in a niche subject, especially trains.. It is informal slang, fine in casual speech but not suited to formal contexts. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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(British, informal) Obsessively absorbed in a subject, especially an unusual or obscure subject.
An anorak arc is the character development — usually visible to everyone except the person experiencing it — where someone gradually becomes a full-blown niche obsessive. It starts innocently: a passing interest in vintage cameras, a single Wikipedia page about canal boats, one YouTube video about rare coins. Then the subscriptions multiply, the specialist books arrive, the vocabulary shifts, and before anyone can stage an intervention, the arc is complete. Friends watch it happen in real time, helpless and mildly entertained. The anorak arc is inevitable for certain personality types; the only question is which subject will claim them.
Anorak mode is the state of being fully locked into your niche obsession — tabs open, notes accumulating, completely unreachable to the outside world. You've gone so deep into your specialist subject that normal conversation is impossible and frankly unwelcome. Time stops, hunger is ignored, and three hours disappear into researching the livery history of a specific British Rail diesel class. Anorak mode isn't a choice so much as an inevitability — it's what happens when the interest takes over. Friends and family learn to recognise the signs and know not to disturb you until it passes (or until dinner is ready twice).
The words anorak and parka have been used interchangeably, but they are somewhat different garments.
anorak means: A person with an unusual or obsessive interest in a niche subject, especially trains.. Register: very informal, slang. Suitable only for casual conversation, chat and social media. Do not use in business, academic or news writing. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
“That’s not Chris! That’s the Anorak. TOTALLY different unconnected real people both.”
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A heavy weatherproof jacket with an attached hood; a parka or windcheater.
Don't ever use the hood on your anorak; and, if you do, for heaven's sake don't pull the string tight so that you peep out like a little baby in a siren suit.
“Anorak" is a British slang term which refers to a person who has a very strong interest, perhaps obsessive, in niche subjects.”
“The words anorak and parka have been used interchangeably, but they are somewhat different garments.”
“A parka, along with the related anorak, is a type of coat with a hood, that may be lined with fur or fake fur.”
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