jpexg@mit-hermes.ARPA (John Purbrick) (03/06/85)
> > But what dictionaries define the word kludge? (I'm not even sure > how to spell it because I can't find it in any dictionaries. Oddly enough I have a friend who wrote to Webster's (actually the G.&C. Merriam Co.) a few years back concerning the use of "kluge" (sic) as a verb and the adjective "kludgy" or "klugy". Here's part of their reply: ..... _Kluge_ is defined in one of our latest publications, "6000 Words: A Supplement to Webster's Third New International Dictionary", as follows: kludge also kluge \'kluj <2 dots over the u>\ n, [origin unknown]: a system and esp. a computer system made up of components that are poorly matched or were orig. intended for some other use. The differences in spelling, part of speech, and pronunciation make your citational contributions valuable. The evidence in our files greatly favors the _kludge_ spelling and the noun usage. Until now we were unaware of the the pronunciation \'kluje <2 dots over u, accent over e>\ although a recent citation containing the spelling _kludgy_ implies it. Our pronunciation editor suggests that the \kluje\ pronunciation might be restricted to adjectival use in analogy to many other adjectival pronunciations ending in \e <accent>\. ........ Sincerely yours, etc. (end of quote) I have heard the suggestion that "kludge" derives from the name of the Kluge printing machinery company, whose products (at least one of which is in student hands here at MIT) are of fearsome complexity. Note that Steven Levy, in "Hackers", spells it "kluge", but he probably collected his material orally and therefore had no way to check the spelling. John Purbrick decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!mit-hermes!jpexg jpexg@mit-hermes.ARPA
stuart@rochester.UUCP (Stuart Friedberg) (03/07/85)
> I have heard the suggestion that "kludge" derives from the name of the Kluge > printing machinery company, whose products (at least one of which is in > student hands here at MIT) are of fearsome complexity. > John Purbrick If anyone is following this up and getting back to the Webster dictionary editors, "kludge" ("kluge") was a common term at least as early as World War II. I have a couple of "I Was There" cartoon books by Bob Stevens. In one of them he gives an illustrated vocabulary of wartime jargon. Kludge is one of the entries. I don't recall the description he gave for it, but the essence was of a Rube Goldberg- style affair whose sole virtue was the fact that it got the job done, typically thrown together out of odds and ends and whatever happened to fit and horrifying to the eyes of a technical inspector. Obviously "kludge" has been taken to heart by the modern computer community, but I have no difficulty seeing where we might have gotten it from mechanics and technical Mr. Fix-It's of 20 - 30 years ago. I'm surprised that Webster's didn't already have it, from this background. And, of course, the origin given by John Purbrick is probably completely compatible with the "war story", although it would require that the Kluge printing machinery company have produced such monsters before (say) 1945. Stu Friedberg {seismo, allegra}!rochester!stuart stuart@rochester
rubin@columbia.UUCP (Mike Rubin) (03/07/85)
> Note that Steven Levy, in "Hackers", spells it "kluge", but he probably > collected his material orally and therefore had no way to check the spelling. Steven Levy probably got it from the "jargon file" maintained at various places on the Arpanet, a version of which was published last year as (I think) /The Hacker's Dictionary/ by Guy Steele. Excerpts follow: This file is maintained at three locations. It is AIWORD.RF[UP,DOC] at SAIL, and GLS;JARGON > at MIT-MC and at MIT-AI. KLUGE (kloodj) alt. KLUDGE [from the German "kluge", clever] n. 1. A Rube Goldberg device in hardware or software. 2. A clever programming trick intended to solve a particular nasty case in an efficient, if not clear, manner. Often used to repair bugs. Often verges on being a crock. 3. Something that works for the wrong reason. 4. v. To insert a kluge into a program. "I've kluged this routine to get around that weird bug, but there's probably a better way." Also KLUGE UP. 5. KLUGE AROUND: To avoid by inserting a kluge. 6. (WPI) A feature which is implemented in a RUDE manner.
darryl@ISM780.UUCP (03/09/85)
[] More logs on the fire: From the Webster's New Collegiate, (c) 1981: kludge [origin unknown]: a system, and especially a computer system made up of compnents that are poorly matched or were originally intended for some other use. And while we're at it, irregardless [probably blend of irrespective and regardless] _nonstandard_: regardless. So my Webster's seems to be up to date. And, Helen Anne, perhaps you might stick with your AHD -- they're all listing nonstandard words, it would seem. --Darryl Richman, INTERACTIVE Systems Inc. ...!cca!ima!ism780!darryl The views expressed above are my opinions only.
mmt@dciem.UUCP (Martin Taylor) (03/17/85)
Doesn't kluge (I never learned the `d' spelling) come from German
kluge = clever? That's a kluge way of fixing the bug :-)
(We soften the g because of the spelling, if this etymology is right).
--
Martin Taylor
{allegra,linus,ihnp4,floyd,ubc-vision}!utzoo!dciem!mmt
{uw-beaver,qucis,watmath}!utcsri!dciem!mmtshor@sphinx.UChicago.UUCP (Melinda Shore) (03/17/85)
In MIT and Stanford's jargon manual (the ultimate authority in these matters ... ), kludge is spelled both with and without the d, and yes, they do say it comes from the German "kluge." (Our copy of the manual is rather old -- 1982.) -- Melinda Shore University of Chicago Computation Center uucp: ..!ihnp4!gargoyle!sphinx!shor Mailnet: staff.melinda@uchicago.mailnet Bitnet: shor%sphinx@uchicago.bitnet ARPA: staff.melinda%uchicago.mailnet@mit-multics.arpa
marko@mako.UUCP (Mark O'Shea) (03/19/85)
When I was an electronic tech in the USAF(25 years ago), The word "kludge" was used a lot by Hughes Aircraft Company field engineers to describe anything we whipped up in the field to get a job done. Most often it referred to home made test equipment. As you can imagine, more often than not, home made test equip was put together with whatever was available. The word was spelled "klooge" whenever I saw it in print. It was a verb or noun and was used in the past tense as in "klooged up a ....". No one I knew back then knew (or I suspect cared) about the origin of the word. We picked it up and used it rather freely. It was even used to describe someone who was not well liked.
jpexg@mit-hermes.ARPA (John Purbrick) (03/19/85)
> First, let me thank John Purbrick and the others who have responded to > my query. You're welcome. I was sorry to hear that "kluge" is "clever" in German; I liked to think that the word came from the name of a manufacturer of "kludgy" printing machinery--a "kludgy" derivation. But it's hard to support that with such an obvious alternative. Traditionally the anomalous spelling with a 'd' in it has been more common, but perhaps the mass of people now being exposed to computer jargon will return(?) to the German "kluge".
hav@dual.UUCP (Helen Anne Vigneau) (04/05/85)
<*munch*>
=> I was sorry to hear that "kluge" is "clever" in German; I liked
=> to think that the word came from the name of a manufacturer of "kludgy"
=> printing machinery--a "kludgy" derivation. But it's hard to support that with
=> such an obvious alternative. Traditionally the anomalous spelling with a 'd'
=> in it has been more common, but perhaps the mass of people now being exposed
=> to computer jargon will return(?) to the German "kluge".
=> John Purbrick
A few things here. First, in answer to *everybody's* question, I've seen
both spellings: kluge and kludge. I found in *Jargon* that they attribute
the etymology to German. HOWEVER, the German word (which indeed does mean
clever) is spelled klug and pronounced kloog (i.e., soft (?) G as in gag).
As in, you know, gag me with all this cleverness. :-)
Wisdom for the greater good . . .
Helen Anne
{ucbvax,ihnp4,cbosgd,hplabs,decwrl,unisoft,fortune,sun,nsc}!dual!hav
If a man does not keep pace with his companions,
perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.
Let him step to the music he hears,
however measured or far away.