| 释义 |
brainiac, a. and n. slang (chiefly N. Amer.).
Brit. |ˈbreɪnɪak|, U.S. |ˈbreɪniˌæk|
[‹ Brainiac, the name of a super-intelligent alien character in the Superman comic strip (see quot. 1964), apparently a blend of brain n. and maniac n.
Compare Brainiac, in the late 1950s as the name of a kit for building small electronic computing devices (see quots. 1959, 1964) ‹brain n. + -iac (in ENIAC Electronic Numerical Integrator and Automatic Calculator (also Computer): see E n. Initialisms).
1959Science 1301217/2 (caption) Brainiac K-30... New improved version of the famous ‘electric brain’ construction kit. 1964Superman No. 167 10/1 Shortly after the first ‘Brainiac’ story appeared in Action Comics in 1956, we learned that a real ‘Brainiac’ existed..in the form of an ingenious ‘Brainiac Computer Kit’ invented in 1955 by Edmund C. Berkeley. In deference to his ‘Brainiac’ which pre-dates ours,..we are changing the characterization of our ‘Brainiac’ so that the master-villain will henceforth possess a ‘computer personality’. ]
A. adj. (attrib.). Very intelligent or clever; intellectual.
1976New Musical Express 12 Feb. 30/3 Nick Kent finds a brainiac kid wallowing in a four-way blitzkrieg bog. 1980P. Smith in A. Pavletich Sirens of Song 243 After they finished moving me as guys, they moved me as artists, and so I was able to transcend that little sexual giggle and relate to those people on a more brainiac level. 1992N.Y. Rev. Bks. 3 Dec. (advt.) New Yorker Artist, 37..exactly pretty enough for you, seeks creative, successful, brainiac man, 35–50. 2000New Yorker 9 Oct. 33/1 You can call the smartest person you know. Or you can ask the audience... So which would you choose: your brainiac brother-in-law or a random bunch of loafers?
B. n. A very intelligent person; an expert.
Sometimes depreciative or derogatory, with connotations of social inadequacy or ostracization.
1982People Weekly (Nexis) 20 Dec. 62 Metzler managed only to earn a nickname (‘Brainiac’, for his Ivy League pedigree) and a reputation as a hothead. 1986Urban Rev. 18 191 Once they [sc. friends] find out you're a brainiac the first thing they say is, ‘she thinks she's cute and she's smart. She thinks she's better than anyone else.’ 1994Toronto Star 2 July a1/2 They're..math brainiacs, born and/or raised with the potential to move beyond the frontiers of knowledge. 2000N.Y. Times Mag. 4 June 55/1 The brainiacs at my suburban high school left me in the dust. |