mathlete

Origin:
math + athlete = mathlete

Definition:
n. one who excels in mathematical ability

Exemplum:
Having studied calculus three years before any of his peers, Adam was Marmion Academy's first-choice mathlete for the academic decathlon.

Commentary:
Today's term is another installment of the oxymoronic portmanteau. This one especially tickles the cerebral funny bone for me because it harkens back to the timeless high school chasm between nerds and jocks-- a chasm which "mathlete" attempts to bridge. And fails-- miserably and hilariously.

"Mathlete" itself just smacks of a feeble, nerdly attempt to identify with the abilities and popularity of jocks. It's possible that this term has been used in television or film, but I've never encountered it in such ways. Which is surprising because I find its connotations to be irrefutably cinematic. The projector of the mind brings immediately to light an out-of-touch mother's futile attempt to reassure her nerdy son that he's cool in some alternative universe. It's just a smart, delightful, little way to poke fun at nerdliness, an activity in which everyone should engage any time the inclination arises.

Credit:
Anonymous (term), Nate Winter (the rest)