An anorak check is a moment when someone pauses to acknowledge — or gets called out for — going full obsessive nerd mode. Borrowed from the format of 'vibe check' and 'nerd check', it functions as a lighthearted audit: are you currently deep in a Wikipedia rabbit hole about train timetables? Are you reciting bus route facts nobody asked for? Anorak check. It can be self-applied (a person catching themselves mid-lecture) or aimed at a friend who's clearly gone too deep on their niche interest. The check isn't necessarily a diss — anoraks often wear the label as a badge of honour.
Hang on — three paragraphs about signal box history? Anorak check, mate.
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Viral internet speak — memes, ratios, main-character moments, and the algospeak of every platform from Twitter to Reddit to TikTok comment sections.
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