Thanks to Trollope

[poliphilo]

I now know that the  mid-Victorian word for "geek" is "hobbledehoy". 

Comments

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

The character so designated is Johnny Eames in The Small House at Allington- an awkward, naive, inexperienced but not unintelligent young clerk in a government office. He loves Lily Dale but can't declare himself and meanwhile gets entangled with a predatory older woman.