I join the general puzzlement. "Fanboy" has been in use at least since I got involved in fandom um... 27 years ago. "Fangirl" seemed more recent but otherwise identical in its slighlty pejorative sense of someone being a bit *too* enthusiastic about their non-mainstream delights. Rabid football fans were never considered to be fannish, apparently. I don't know. I know i don't use 'fanboy' to mean anything like cool. I *do* use 'geekboy' and 'geekgirl' in that sense, however.

As a fan, I've always viewed both 'fanboy' and 'fangirl' in the same light as 'daggy' is used in Australia. Slightly pejorative, slightly affectionate. Or maybe it's just me. Maybe I just make words mean what I like them to mean. I am my own Websters.

Fangirlishy yours, and loving it, Relle