different between headbanger vs hesher

English

Etymology

head +? banger

Pronunciation

Noun

headbanger (plural headbangers)

1. One who dances by violently shaking the head in time to the music.
2. (by extension) One who enjoys heavy metal (rock) music, to which this sort of dance is usually performed.
3. A mad or eccentric person. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
4. A kind of chin-up or pull-up exercise where the head is kept in line with the bar.

Synonyms

• (heavy metal fan): metalhead, metaller

English

Etymology

Derived from Hessian: so called due to long hair and warlike personality akin to that of the Hessian mercenaries.

Noun

hesher (plural heshers)

1. (slang) A diehard enthusiast of heavy metal music.
   • 1994, SPIN (volume 9, number 12, page 30)

     You remember the heshers. Those guys who hung out in the back corner of the high-school parking lot, listening to the Scorps on the stereo in their souped-up Chevy Nova with the mag wheels and dual overhead cams.

   • 2012, Stewart Dean Ebersole, Jared Castaldi, David A. Ensminger, Barred for Life (page 76)

     To be a hesher, you blared the more rebellious Heavy Metal music of the day (AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Accept), drove a muddy pick-up truck to school every day, and wore a blue jean jacket and shit-kicker boots everywhere.

   Joseph has long hair, rides a motorcycle, and wears t-shirts of his favorite heavy metal bands with a leather jacket to his college classes. He is a hesher.

See also

• metalhead