ringnut

Etymology

From ring + nut, by analogy with wingnut.

Why this word is great

RINGNUT — [Noun] A zealous fan of either Wagner’s *Der Ring des Nibelungen* or Tolkien’s *The Lord of the Rings* (and its film adaptations). Formed from *ring* (the shared titular object of both sagas) and *nut* (slang for an obsessive), echoing the mechanical *wingnut*—a fitting metaphor for those who tighten their devotion to mythic cycles with unyielding fervor. Unlike "Wagnerian" (which casts a broader net over the composer’s oeuvre) or "Tolkienist" (which implies scholarly rigor), *ringnut* embraces the unapologetic glee of fandom. It is the glint of a replica One Ring on a convention lanyard, the synchronized hum of a hundred voices reciting "*Ride of the Valkyries*," or the dog-eared copy of *The Silmarillion* tucked into a backpack—proof that some hearts beat forever in Middle-earth or Valhalla, whichever comes first.

noun

  1. A fan of the opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen by Richard Wagner.“Ringnuts have been known to wear plastic versions of those helmets while standing in line outside the opera house.”
  2. A fan of the novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien and/or the film trilogy based on it.“27. Sit next to a ringnut and ask "so what's the deal with the ring?" every time it comes on the screen”