What does quirky mean on DCUM?

[Anonymous]

I think it can also mean unusual interests or behaviors (that are not problematic or disruptive) in a kid who doesn't otherwise fit the criteria for ASD.

[Anonymous]

It's funny, DS and I were talking about dating the other day and I asked him what he was looking for in a girl. He said "a little quirky", which I took to mean someone with a unique personality who wasn't afraid to be who she is even if it meant she wasn't one of the popular kids. He's like that with his friends too--he has always gravitated to people he finds interesting vs. worrying about being in the cool crowd.

[Anonymous]

It used to mean artsy/alternative, now it means someone is a dork/awkward.

[Anonymous]

DCUM often uses it to mean neurodivergent.

In prior world use, it meant the kid who was heavily into theater, musicals, rode a unicycle, did mime, was into folkdance group, did standup comedy or slam poetry, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCUM often uses it to mean neurodivergent.

In prior world use, it meant the kid who was heavily into theater, musicals, rode a unicycle, did mime, was into folkdance group, did standup comedy or slam poetry, etc.

I think it still can mean that. If you Morris dance, flatfoot, or shape-note sing, if you are really really into bassoon, if you go to a sleepaway camp that is a touring circus, if all you do is take water samples and upload them to the Riverkeeper spreadsheet, if you have personally developed 476 distinct varieties of azalea, then you are quirky. No matter how good your social skills. And we can be friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People frequently say their DC is quirky. I know the dictionary definition, but usage here seems different from "strange" or "odd". What does it mean here?

Weird behaviors
Geeky
Spazoid
Dorky
Nerdy sometimes with one or more of the above.

[Anonymous]

It means autistic but parents don’t want to face reality

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People frequently say their DC is quirky. I know the dictionary definition, but usage here seems different from "strange" or "odd". What does it mean here?

Weird behaviors
Geeky
Spazoid
Dorky
Nerdy sometimes with one or more of the above.

Spazoid? Really?

[Anonymous]

Autistic

[Anonymous]

Odd

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think strange and odd are more pejorative. Quirky is more someone who beats to their own drum. Possibly (probably?) but not necessarily neurodiverse. I have one like this who doesn’t have any formal dx but has different interests from the rest of her kids in MS. She’s bookish, loves plants/gardening, loves mountain biking, never uses her phone, doesn’t wear anything remotely trendy (such as jeans, tank tops, hoodies, lululemon, cool sneakers -she wears Merrells and t shirts from vacations or dh SEC alma mater). She has a handful of nice friends, does great in school - shes no harder or less happy than my other two more conventional kids. I wouldn’t be surprised if down the road she gets an autism or adhd dx but I have had her evaluated and there was no finding of either

She’s not autistic. I don’t know why so many people want to diagnose their child as autistic because they aren’t basic. I’d be happy if I had a child that fit that description. She sounds great, you didn’t describe one trait that would describe a person with autism and you should feel nothing but pride.

Respectfully, boiling down the spectrum of neurodivergence to “basic” vs “autistic” is absolutely ridiculous

NP. Not wearing trendy clothes or being bookish is not neurodivergent. I believe that was PP’s point, and they’re correct.

Thank you. There was nothing in her description of her daughter that would make someone think she is on some spectrum.

[Anonymous]

Usually to me that means socially awkward, and probably on the spectrum whether diagnosed or not

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It means "weird".

I think it means endearingly slightly offbeat in a way that reads more like a kid who is neither into typical sportslife or teenybop culture or even nerd academic culture that is mainstream but instead enjoys less common interests that make them stand apart a little in an unusual way—like a kid who is into D&D or juggling or fencing or riding a unicycle or competing in ping pong tournaments or running a weekly bingo night at the local senior center just for fun!
Quirky is the sort of odd that makes you smile.

[Anonymous]

I think context matters. In the context of college apps, I’d say it means non-sporty and intellectual. In the context of middle schoolers, I’d say it means socially awkward.

[Anonymous]

For tween and younger teen girls I think it's code for not being very interested in boys, having less desire to impress boys with their looks, having less desire to compete with other girls for boys' attention.

I've never heard quirky used to describe a girl who wears makeup or talks a lot about boys, even if the girl had some interests that were quirky (by the dictionary definition) or had other odd behaviors. It seems like as long as the sexual part of one's nature is developing on schedule or ahead of schedule then you will never get the quirky label.