"Boffin is a British slang term for a scientist, engineer, or other person engaged in technical or scientific research and development. A "boffin" was generally viewed by the regular services as odd, quirky or peculiar, though quite bright and essential to helping in the war effort. The World War II conception of boffins as war-winning researchers lends the term a more positive connotation than related terms such as nerd, egghead, geek or spod."
To explain the modern use (which is very rare, outside of the tabloid news industry), a boffin is somewhat similar to geek, but it's used to describe knowledgeable people in academic / research fields, and occasionally in computing too. It's often said in a jokey way (I've never heard anyone describe themselves as a boffin), but it's not really an insult, there's a certain level of recognition that they know things that the person calling them a boffin does not.
"Boffin is a British slang term for a scientist, engineer, or other person engaged in technical or scientific research and development. A "boffin" was generally viewed by the regular services as odd, quirky or peculiar, though quite bright and essential to helping in the war effort. The World War II conception of boffins as war-winning researchers lends the term a more positive connotation than related terms such as nerd, egghead, geek or spod."
To explain the modern use (which is very rare, outside of the tabloid news industry), a boffin is somewhat similar to geek, but it's used to describe knowledgeable people in academic / research fields, and occasionally in computing too. It's often said in a jokey way (I've never heard anyone describe themselves as a boffin), but it's not really an insult, there's a certain level of recognition that they know things that the person calling them a boffin does not.