Portland Glossary

Word on the Street: Phaker

A definition for Portland life

October 16, 2012

Phaker (n)

A person who adopts the apparel, grooming, and demeanor of the “Makers” subculture—those who build, brew, stitch, or craft all things in tiny little batches—but who does not actually make anything.  In a sentence:  “With his long beard, wide suspenders, Carhartts, and Danner boots, I always thought ‘Matthias’ was one of us. But over microdistilled old-fashioneds, I discovered that Matt is actually a phaker—he’s a bank teller!”  2007 version:  “Phake-enger”—an ersatz bike messenger

Filed under
Share
Show Comments

Related Content

Arts & Events

Hot Pursuit

05/19/2009 By Martha Calhoon

Article

In-port Ex-port

05/19/2009

Gloves Out, Bottoms Up

Beer Brawl

05/19/2009 By Christian DeBenedetti

Cool Jobs

A Novel Affair

05/19/2009 By Stacey Wilson