psm@manta.NOSC.MIL (Scot Mcintosh) (09/07/89)
In looking at some unix source code, I've encountered several uses of the word 'frobbed'. From the context, it appears that it means 'manipulated in some unspecified way'. Is this an accurate interpretation, or is there another meaning? Is this even a unix-domain word, or just some neologism generated by a bored programmer?
dpz@convex.com (David Paul Zimmerman) (09/07/89)
From a well-revered file in the dungeons of $HOME: FROB 1. n. (MIT) The official Tech Model Railroad Club definition is "FROB = protruding arm or trunnion", and by metaphoric extension any somewhat small thing. See FROBNITZ. 2. v. Abbreviated form of FROBNICATE. FROBNICATE v. To manipulate or adjust, to tweak. Derived from FROBNITZ (q.v.). Usually abbreviated to FROB. Thus one has the saying "to frob a frob". See TWEAK and TWIDDLE. Usage: FROB, TWIDDLE, and TWEAK sometimes connote points along a continuum. FROB connotes aimless manipulation; TWIDDLE connotes gross manipulation, often a coarse search for a proper setting; TWEAK connotes fine-tuning. If someone is turning a knob on an oscilloscope, then if he's carefully adjusting it he is probably tweaking it; if he is just turning it but looking at the screen he is probably twiddling it; but if he's just doing it because turning a knob is fun, he's frobbing it. FROBNITZ, pl. FROBNITZEM (frob'nitsm) n. An unspecified physical object, a widget. Also refers to electronic black boxes. This rare form is usually abbreviated to FROTZ, or more commonly to FROB. Also used are FROBNULE, FROBULE, and FROBNODULE. Starting perhaps in 1979, FROBBOZ (fruh-bahz'), pl. FROBBOTZIM, has also become very popular, largely due to its exposure via the Adventure spin-off called Zork (Dungeon). These can also be applied to non-physical objects, such as data structures. TWEAK v. To change slightly, usually in reference to a value. Also used synonymously with TWIDDLE. See FROBNICATE and FUDGE FACTOR. TWIDDLE n. 1. tilde (ASCII 176, "~"). Also called "squiggle", "sqiggle" (sic--pronounced "skig'gul"), and "twaddle", but twiddle is by far the most common term. 2. A small and insignificant change to a program. Usually fixes one bug and generates several new ones. 3. v. To change something in a small way. Bits, for example, are often twiddled. Twiddling a switch or knob implies much less sense of purpose than toggling or tweaking it; see FROBNICATE. David Paul Zimmerman dpz@convex.com CONVEX Computer Corp convex!dpz
barmar@think.COM (Barry Margolin) (09/07/89)
In article <925@manta.NOSC.MIL> psm@manta.nosc.mil (Scot Mcintosh) writes: >In looking at some unix source code, I've encountered several uses of >the word 'frobbed'. From the context, it appears that it means >'manipulated in some unspecified way'. Is this an accurate >interpretation, or is there another meaning? Is this even a >unix-domain word, or just some neologism generated by a bored >programmer? Yes, you've deduced the meaning correctly. It's not a Unix neologism, but a hacker neologism, which came from MIT in the 60's or 70's. It comes from the noun "frob", which is a short form of the word "frobozz" (if you've ever played Zork, you've probably seen this word), which are hacker jargon for "thing". Another verb form that used to be used was "frobnicate", but this seems to have been supplanted by the verb use of "frob". Barry Margolin Thinking Machines Corp. barmar@think.com {uunet,harvard}!think!barmar
gwyn@smoke.BRL.MIL (Doug Gwyn) (09/07/89)
In article <925@manta.NOSC.MIL> psm@manta.nosc.mil (Scot Mcintosh) writes: >? Check out the "Hacker's Dictionary", on sale in better bookstores.
lang@PRC.Unisys.COM (Francois-Michel Lang) (09/08/89)
In article <925@manta.NOSC.MIL> psm@manta.nosc.mil (Scot Mcintosh) writes: >In looking at some unix source code, I've encountered several uses of >the word 'frobbed'. From the context, it appears that it means >'manipulated in some unspecified way'. Is this an accurate >interpretation, or is there another meaning? Is this even a >unix-domain word, or just some neologism generated by a bored >programmer? From the hacker's dictionary: FROB 1. n. (MIT) The official Tech Model Railroad Club definition is "FROB = protruding arm or trunnion", and by metaphoric extension any somewhat small thing. See FROBNITZ. 2. v. Abbreviated form of FROBNICATE. FROBNICATE v. To manipulate or adjust, to tweak. Derived from FROBNITZ (q.v.). Usually abbreviated to FROB. Thus one has the saying "to frob a frob". See TWEAK and TWIDDLE. Usage: FROB, TWIDDLE, and TWEAK sometimes connote points along a continuum. FROB connotes aimless manipulation; TWIDDLE connotes gross manipulation, often a coarse search for a proper setting; TWEAK connotes fine-tuning. If someone is turning a knob on an oscilloscope, then if he's carefully adjusting it he is probably tweaking it; if he is just turning it but looking at the screen he is probably twiddling it; but if he's just doing it because turning a knob is fun, he's frobbing it. FROBNITZ, pl. FROBNITZEM (frob'nitsm) n. An unspecified physical object, a widget. Also refers to electronic black boxes. This rare form is usually abbreviated to FROTZ, or more commonly to FROB. Also used are FROBNULE, FROBULE, and FROBNODULE. Starting perhaps in 1979, FROBBOZ (fruh-bahz'), pl. FROBBOTZIM, has also become very popular, largely due to its exposure via the Adventure spin-off called Zork (Dungeon). These can also be applied to non-physical objects, such as data structures. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Francois-Michel Lang Paoli Research Center, Unisys lang@prc.unisys.com (215) 648-7256 Dept of Comp & Info Science, U of PA lang@linc.cis.upenn.edu (215) 898-9511
bzs@bu-cs.BU.EDU (Barry Shein) (09/09/89)
>In looking at some unix source code, I've encountered several uses of >the word 'frobbed'. From the context, it appears that it means >'manipulated in some unspecified way'. Is this an accurate >interpretation, or is there another meaning? Is this even a >unix-domain word, or just some neologism generated by a bored >programmer? It's short for FROBNIFICATE, c.f. The Hacker's Dictionary. -- -Barry Shein Software Tool & Die, Purveyors to the Trade 1330 Beacon Street, Brookline, MA 02146, (617) 739-0202 Internet: bzs@skuld.std.com UUCP: encore!xylogics!skuld!bzs or uunet!skuld!bzs
dg@lakart.UUCP (David Goodenough) (09/12/89)
From article <925@manta.NOSC.MIL>, by psm@manta.NOSC.MIL (Scot Mcintosh): > In looking at some unix source code, I've encountered several uses of > the word 'frobbed'. From the context, it appears that it means > 'manipulated in some unspecified way'. Is this an accurate > interpretation, or is there another meaning? Is this even a > unix-domain word, or just some neologism generated by a bored > programmer? Sorry, but I can't resist this one :-) Taken (without permission :-P ) from the fortunes.dat database as provided with BSD 4.3 +-------------------------------------------------------- | Frobnicate, v.: | To manipulate or adjust, to tweak. Derived from FROBNITZ. | Usually abbreviated to FROB. Thus one has the saying "to frob a | frob". See TWEAK and TWIDDLE. Usage: FROB, TWIDDLE, and TWEAK | sometimes connote points along a continuum. FROB connotes aimless | manipulation; TWIDDLE connotes gross manipulation, often a coarse | search for a proper setting; TWEAK connotes fine-tuning. If someone is | turning a knob on an oscilloscope, then if he's carefully adjusting it | he is probably tweaking it; if he is just turning it but looking at the | screen he is probably twiddling it; but if he's just doing it because | turning a knob is fun, he's frobbing it. +-------------------------------------------------------- -- dg@lakart.UUCP - David Goodenough +---+ IHS | +-+-+ ....... !harvard!xait!lakart!dg +-+-+ | AKA: dg%lakart.uucp@xait.xerox.com +---+