eric@snark.thyrsus.com (Eric S. Raymond) (01/04/91)
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X========= THIS IS THE JARGON FILE, VERSION 2.3.1 03 JAN 1991 =================
X
XIntroduction
X************
X
XThis document is a collection of slang terms used by various
Xsubcultures of computer hackers. Though some technical material is
Xincluded for background and flavor, it is not a technical dictionary;
Xwhat we describe here is the language hackers use among themselves for
Xfun and social communication within their communities.
X
XThough the format is that of a reference, it is also intended that
Xthe material be enjoyable to browse or read straight through. Even a
Xcomplete outsider should find at least a chuckle on nearly every page,
Xand much that is amusingly thought-provoking.
X
XThe `hacker culture' is actually a loosely networked collection of
Xsubcultures that is nevertheless conscious of some important shared
Xexperiences, shared roots, and shared values. It has its own myths,
Xheroes, villains, folk epics, in-jokes, taboos and dreams. Because
Xhackers as a group are particularly creative people who define
Xthemselves partly by rejection of `normal' values and working habits,
Xit has unusually rich and conscious traditions for an intentional
Xculture less than thirty-five years old.
X
XHackers, as a rule, love word-play and are very conscious in their use
Xof language. Thus, a compilation of their slang is a particularly
Xeffective window into their culture --- and, in fact, this one is the
Xlatest version of an evolving compilation called the `Jargon File'
Xmaintained by hackers themselves for over fifteen years. This one
X(like its ancestors) is primarily a lexicon, but also includes `topic
Xentries' which collect background or sidelight information on hacker
Xculture that would be awkward to try and subsume under a single term.
X
XA selection of longer items of hacker folklore and humor are included
Xin appendix A. The `outside' reader's attention is particularly
Xdirected to Appendix B, the Portrait of J. Random Hacker. Appendix C
Xis a bibliography of non-technical works which have either influenced
Xor described the hacker culture.
X
XBecause hackerdom is an intentional culture (one which each individual
Xmust choose consciously to join), one should not be surprised that the
Xline between description and influence can become more than a little
Xblurred. Earlier Jargon File versions have played a central role in
Xspreading hacker language and the culture that goes with it to
Xsuccessively larger populations, and we hope and expect that this one
Xwill do likewise.
X
XRevision History
X================
X
XThe original `jargon file' (hereafter referred to as `jargon-1') was a
Xcollection of hacker slang from technical cultures including the MIT
XAI Lab, the Stanford AI lab, the old ARPANET AI/LISP/PDP-10
Xcommunities, Carnegie-Mellon University, and Worcester Polytechnic
XInstitute. Some entries dated back to the early 1970s. It was
Xcompiled by Raphael Finkel, Don Woods, Mark Crispin, and Guy L. Steele
XJr., and last revised about 1983. Its revisions are all un-numbered
Xand may be collectively considered `Version 1'.
X
XA late version of jargon-1, expanded with commentary for the mass
Xmarket, was edited by by Guy L. Steele into a book published in 1983
Xas `The Hacker's Dictionary' (Harper & Row CN 1082, ISBN
X0-06-091082-8). The other jargon-1 editors (Raphael Finkel, Don Woods
Xand Mark Crispin) contributed to the revision, as did also Richard M.
XStallman and Geoff Goodfellow. This book is hereafter referred to as
X`Steele-1983'. It is now out of print.
X
XThis version contains nearly the entire text of a late version of
Xjargon-1 (a few obsolescent PDP-10-related entries have been dropped
Xfollowing careful consultation with the editors of Steele-1983). It
Xmerges in about about 80% of the Steele-1983 text, omitting some
Xframing material and a very few entries introduced in Steele-1983
Xwhich are now also obsolescent.
X
XThis new version casts a wider net than the old jargon file; its aim
Xis to cover not just AI but all the technical computing cultures
Xwherein the true hacker-nature is manifested. More than half of the
Xentries now derive from USENET and represent slang now current in the
XC and UNIX communities.
X
XThe present maintainer of the jargon file is Eric S. Raymond
X(eric@snark.thyrsus.com) with some assistance from Guy L. Steele
X(gls@think.com); these are the persons primarily reflected in the
XFile's editorial `we', though we take pleasure in acknowledging the
Xspecial contribution of the other coauthors of Steele-1983. Please
Xemail all additions, corrections and correspondence relating to the
Xjargon file to jargon@thyrsus.com (UUCP-only sites without
Xconnections to an autorouting smart site can use
X...!uunet!snark!jargon).
X
X(Warning: other email addresses appear in this file *but are not
Xguaranteed to be correct* later than the revision date on the first
Xline. *Don't* email us if an attempt to reach your idol bounces
X--- we have no magic way of checking addresses or looking up people)
X
XSome snapshot of this on-line version will become the main text of a
X`New Hacker's Dictionary' possibly as early as Fall 1991. The
Xmaintainers are committed to updating the on-line version of the
Xjargon file through and beyond paper publication, and will continue to
Xmake it available to archives and public-access sites as a trust of
Xthe hacker community.
X
XHere is a chronology of the recent on-line revisions:
X
XVersion 2.1.1, Jun 12 1990: the jargon file comes alive again after a
Xseven-year hiatus. Reorganization and massive additions were by Eric
XS. Raymond, approved by Guy Steele. Many items of UNIX, C, USENET and
Xmicrocomputer-based slang were added at that time (as well as The
XUntimely Demise of Mabel The Monkey). Some obsolescent usages (mostly
XPDP-10 derived) were moved to appendix B.
X
XVersion 2.1.5, Nov 28 1990: changes and additions by ESR in response to
Xnumerous USENET submissions and comment from the First Edition coauthors.
XThe bibliography (Appendix C) was also appended.
X
XVersion 2.2.1, Dec 15 1990: most of the contents of the 1983 paper
Xedition edited by Guy Steele was merged in. Many more USENET
Xsubmissions added, including the International Style and
X<COMMONWEALTH HACKISH> material.
X
XVersion 2.3.1, Jan 03 1991: the great format change --- case is no
Xlonger smashed in lexicon keys and cross-references. A very few
Xentries from jargon-1 which were basically straight tech-speak were
Xdeleted; this enabled the rest of Appendix B to be merged back into
Xmain text and the appendix replaced with the Portrait of J. Random
XHacker. More USENET submissions were added.
X
XVersion numbering: Read versions as <major>.<minor>.<revision>. Major
Xversion 1 is reserved for the `old' (ITS) Jargon File, jargon-1. Major
Xversion 2 encompasses revisions by ESR with assistance from GLS. Someday,
Xthe next maintainer will take over and spawn `version 3'. In general, later
Xversions will either completely obsolesce or incorporate earlier versions,
Xso there is generally no point in keeping old versions around.
X
XOur thanks to the other co-authors of Steele-1983 for oveersight and
Xassistance; also to all the USENETters who contributed entries and
Xencouragement. Special thanks go to our Scandinavian correspondent
XPer Lindberg (per@front.se), author of the remarkable Swedish
Xlanguage 'zine `Hackerbladet', for bringing FOO! comics to our
Xattention and smuggling the IBM hacker underground's own baby jargon
Xfile out to us. Also, much gratitude to ace hacker/linguist Joe Keane
X(jkg@osc.osc.com) for helping us improve the pronunciation guides;
Xand to Maarten Litmath for generously allowing the inclusion of the
XASCII pronunciation guide he formerly maintained. Finally, Mark
XBrader (msb@sq.sq.com) submitted many, many K of thoughtful comments
Xand did yeoman service in catching typos and minor usage bobbles.
X
XFormat For New Entries
X======================
X
XTry to conform to the format already being used --- definitions and
Xcross-references in angle brackets, pronunciations in slashes,
Xetymologies in square brackets, single-space after definition numbers
Xand word classes, etc. Stick to the standard ASCII character set (no
Xhigh-half characters or [nt]roff/TeX/Scribe escapes), as one of the
Xversions generated from the master file is an info document that has
Xto be viewable on a character tty.
X
XPlease note that as of 2.3.1 the preferred format has changed rather
Xdramatically; please *don't* all-caps your entry keys any more.
XBesides preserving case information, this enables the maintainers to
Xprocess the File into a rather spiffy [nt]roff document with font
Xswitches via an almost trivial lex(1) program. This is all in aid of
Xpreventing the freely-available on-line document and the book from
Xdiverging.
X
XWe are looking to expand the file's range of technical specialties covered.
XThere are doubtless rich veins of jargon yet untapped in the scientific
Xcomputing, graphics, and networking hacker communities; also in numerical
Xanalysis, computer architectures and VLSI design, language design, and many
Xother related fields. Send us your slang!
X
XWe are *not* interested in straight technical terms explained by
Xtextbooks or technical dictionaries unless an entry illuminates
X"underground" meanings or aspects not covered by official histories.
XWe are also not interested in "joke" entries --- there is a lot of
Xhumor in the file but it must flow naturally out of the explanations
Xof what hackers do and how they think.
X
XIt is OK to submit items of slang you have originated if they have spread
Xto the point of being used by people who are not personally acquainted with
Xyou. We prefer items to be attested by independent submission from two
Xdifferent sites.
X
XA few new definitions attached to entries are marked [proposed].
XThese are usually generalizations suggested by editors or USENET
Xrespondents in the process of commenting to previous definitions of
Xthose entries. These are *not* represented as established
Xjargon.
X
XThe jargon file will be regularly maintained and re-posted from now on and
Xwill include a version number. Read it, pass it around, contribute --- this
Xis *your* monument!
X
XJargon Construction
X===================
X
XThere are some standard methods of jargonification which became
Xestablished quite early (i.e. before 1970), spreading from such
Xsources as the MIT Model Railroad Club, the PDP-1 SPACEWAR hackers and
XJohn McCarthy's original crew of LISPers. These include:
X
XVerb doubling: a standard construction is to double a verb and use it as a
Xcomment on what the implied subject does. Often used to terminate a
Xconversation. Typical examples involve <win>, <lose>, <hack>, <flame>,
X<barf>, <chomp>:
X
X "The disk heads just crashed." "Lose, lose."
X "Mostly he just talked about his @#!!$% crock. Flame, flame."
X "Boy, what a bagbiter! Chomp, chomp!"
X
XSome verb-doubled constructions have special meanings not immediately
Xobvious from the verb. These have their own listings in the lexicon.
X
XSoundalike slang: Phonetic distortions of a phrase intended to produce the
Xeffect of a pun or wordplay. Not really similar to the Cockney rhyming
Xslang it has been compared to in the past, because Cockney substitutions
Xare opaque whereas hacker rhyming slang is intentionally transparent.
XOften made up on the spur of the moment. Standard examples:
X
X Boston Globe => Boston Glob
X Herald American => Horrid (or Harried) American
X New York Times => New York Slime
X Prime Time => Slime Time
X Data General => Dirty Genitals
X Government Property - Do Not Duplicate (seen on keys)
X => Government Duplicity - Do Not Propagate
X for historical reasons => for hysterical raisins
X
XOften the substitution will be made in such a way as to slip in
Xa standard jargon word:
X
X Dr. Dobb's Journal => Dr. Frob's Journal
X Margaret Jacks Hall => Marginal Hacks Hall
X
XThe -P convention: turning a word into a question by appending the
Xsyllable "P"; from the LISP convention of appending the letter "P"
Xto denote a predicate (a Boolean-valued function). The question
Xshould expect a yes/no answer, though it needn't. (See T and NIL.)
X
X At dinnertime:
X Q: "Foodp?"
X A: "Yeah, I'm pretty hungry." or "T!"
X
X Q: "State-of-the-world-P?"
X A: (Straight) "I'm about to go home."
X A: (Humorous) "Yes, the world has a state."
X
X On the phone to Florida:
X Q: "State-p Florida?"
X A: "Been reading JARGON.TXT again, eh?"
X
X[One of the best of these is a Gosperism (i.e., due to Bill
XGosper). When we were at a Chinese restaurant, he wanted to know
Xwhether someone would like to share with him a two-person-sized
Xbowl of soup. His inquiry was: "Split-p soup?" --GLS]
X
XOvergeneralization: A very conspicuous feature of hackerspeak is the
Xfrequency with which names of program tools, command language
Xprimitives, and even assembler opcodes are applied to contexts outside
Xof computing wherever hackers find amusing analogies to them. Thus,
X(to cite one of the best-known examples) UNIX hackers often <grep> for
Xthings rather than *searching* for them. Many of the lexicon
Xentries are generalizations of exactly this kind.
X
XHackers enjoy overgeneralization on the grammatical level as well.
XMany hackers love to take various words and add the wrong endings to
Xthem to make nouns and verbs, often by extending a standard rule to
Xnonuniform cases. For example, because
X
X porous => porosity
X generous => generosity
X
Xhackers happily generalize:
X
X mysterious => mysteriosity
X ferrous => ferrocity
X
XAlso, note that all nouns can be verbed. e.g.: "All nouns can be
Xverbed", "I'll mouse it up", "Hang on while I clipboard it over",
X"I'm grepping the files". English as a whole is already heading in
Xthis direction (towards pure-positional grammar like Chinese);
Xhackers are simply a bit ahead of the curve.
X
XSimilarly, all verbs can be nouned. Thus:
X
X win -> winnitude, winnage
X disgust -> disgustitude
X hack -> hackification
X
XFinally, note the prevalence of certain kinds of nonstandard plural
Xforms. Anything ending in x may form plurals in -xen (see <VAXen> and
X<boxen> in the main text). Even words ending in phonetic /k/ alone are
Xsometimes treated this way; ex. `soxen' for a bunch of socks. Other
Xfunny plurals are `frobbotzim' for the plural of <frobbotz> (see main
Xtext) and `Unices' and `Tenices' (rather than `Unixes' and `Tenexes';
Xsee <UNIX>, <TENEX> in main text). But note that `Unixen' and `Tenexen'
Xare *never* used; it has been suggested that this is because
X-ix and -ex are latin singular endings that "attract" as Latin
Xplural,
X
XThe pattern here, as with other hackish grammatical quirks, is
Xgeneralization of an inflectional rule which (in English) is either
Xan import or a fossil (such as Hebrew plural in `-im', or the
XAnglo-Saxon plural in `en') to cases where it isn't normally
Xconsidered to apply.
X
XThis is not `poor grammar', as hackers are generally quite well
Xaware of what they are doing when they distort the language. It is
Xgrammatical creativity, a form of playfulness.
X
XSpoken inarticulations: Words such as "mumble", "sigh", and
X"groan" are spoken in places where their referent might more
Xnaturally be used. It has been suggested that this usage derives from
Xthe impossibility of representing such noises on a comm link or in
Xemail. Another expression sometimes heard is "complain!", meaning
X"I have a complaint!"
X
XOf the five listed constructions, verb doubling, peculiar noun
Xformations, and (especially!) spoken inarticulations have become quite
Xgeneral; but rhyming slang is still largely confined to MIT and other
Xlarge universities, and the P convention is found only where LISPers
Xflourish.
X
XFinally, note that many words in hacker jargon have to be
Xunderstood as members of sets of comparatives. This is especially
Xtrue of the adjectives and nouns used to describe the beauty and
Xfunctional quality of code. Here is an approximately correct
Xspectrum:
X
X MONSTROSITY BRAIN-DAMAGE SCREW BUG LOSE MISFEATURE
X CROCK KLUGE HACK WIN FEATURE ELEGANCE PERFECTION
X
XThe last is spoken of as a mythical absolute, approximated but never
Xactually attained. Coinages for describing <lossage> seem to call
Xforth the very finest in hackish linguistic inventiveness; it has been
Xtruly said that "<Computer geeks> have more words for equipment
Xfailures than Inuits have for snow".
X
XHacker Speech Style
X===================
X
XFeatures extremely precise diction, careful word choice, a
Xrelatively large working vocabulary, and relatively little use of
Xcontractions or "street slang". Dry humor, irony, puns, and a
Xmildly flippant attitude are highly valued --- but an underlying
Xseriousness and intelligence is essential. One should use just
Xenough jargon to communicate precisely and identify oneself as "in
Xthe culture"; overuse of jargon or a breathless, excessively
Xgung-ho attitude are considered tacky and the mark of a loser.
X
XThis speech style is a variety of the precisionist English normally
Xspoken by scientists, design engineers, and academics in technical
Xfields. Unlike the jargon construction methods it is fairly constant
Xthroughout hackerdom.
X
XIt has been observed that many hackers are confused by negative
Xquestions --- or, at least, the people they're talking to are often
Xconfused by the sense of their answers. The problem is that they've
Xdone so much coding that distinguishes between
X
X if (going) {
X
Xand
X
X if (!going) {
X
Xthat when they parse the question "Aren't you going?" it seems to be
Xasking the opposite question from "Are you going?", and so merits an
Xanswer in the opposite sense. This confuses English-speaking
Xnon-hackers because they were taught to answer as though the negative
Xpart weren't there (in some other languages, including Chinese and
XJapanese, the hackish interpretation is standard and the problem
Xwouldn't arise). Hackers often find themselves wishing for a word
Xlike French "si" with which one could unambiguously answer "yes"
Xto a negative question.
X
XFor similar reasons, English-speaking hackers almost never use a
Xdouble negative even if they live in a region where colloquial usage
Xallows it. The thought of uttering something that logically ought to
Xbe an affirmative knowing it will be mis-parsed as a negative tends to
Xdisturb them.
X
XHacker Writing Style
X====================
X
XHackers tend to use quotes as balanced delimiters like parens, much to
Xthe dismay of American editors. Thus, if "Jim is going" is a
Xphrase, and so is "Bill runs" and "Spock groks", then hackers
Xgenerally prefer to write: "Jim is going", "Bill runs", and
X"Spock groks". This is incorrect according to standard American
Xusage (which would put the continuation commas and the final period
Xinside the string quotes) but it is counter-intuitive to hackers to
Xmutilate literal strings with characters that don't belong in them.
XThe Jargon File follows hackish usage fairly consistently throughout.
X
XInterestingly, this is now preferred practice in Great Britain, though
Xthe older style (which became established for typographical reasons
Xhaving to do with the aesthetics of comma and quotes in typeset text)
Xis still accepted there. Hart's Rules and the Oxford Dictionary for
XWriters and Editors call it "new" or "logical" style quoting.
X
XHackers have also developed a number of punctuation and emphasis
Xconventions adapted to single-font all-ASCII communications links, and
Xthese are occasionally carried over into written documents even when
Xnormal means of font changes, underlining and the like are available.
X
XOne of these is that TEXT IN ALL CAPS IS INTERPRETED AS "LOUD", and
Xthis becomes such a synesthetic reflex that a person who goes to
Xcaps-lock while in <talk mode> (see main text) may be asked to "stop
Xshouting, please, you're hurting my ears!".
X
XAlso, it is common to use bracketing with asterisks to signify
Xemphasis, as in "What the *hell*?". An alternative form uses paired
Xslash and backslash: "What the \hell/?". The latter is never used
Xin text documents, as many formatters treat backslash as an <escape>
Xand may do inappropriate things with the following text.
X
XTwo asterisks in a row, on the other hand, are a shorthand for
Xexponentiation (this derives from FORTRAN). Thus one might write "2
X** 8 = 256".
X
XAnother notation for exponentiation one sees more frequently uses the
Xcaret (^, ASCII 1011110); one might write instead "2^8 = 256". This
Xgoes all the way back to Algol-60, which used the archaic ASCII
X`up-arrow' that later became caret; this was picked up by Kemeny &
XHall's original BASIC, which in turn influenced the design of the
Xbc(1) and dc(1) UNIX tools that have probably done most to reinforce
Xthe convention on USENET. The notation is mildly confusing to C
Xprogrammers, because `^' means logical XOR in C. Despite this, it was
Xfavored 3-1 over ** in a late-1990 snapshot of USENET. It is used
Xconsistently in this text.
X
XUnderlining is often suggested by substituting underscores for spaces
Xand prepending and appending one underscore to the underlined phrase.
XExample: "It is often alleged that Haldeman wrote _The_Forever_War_
Xin response to Robert Heinlein's earlier _Starship_Troopers_"
X
XOn USENET and in the MUD world (see <MUD> in main text) common C
Xboolean operators (|, !, ==, !=, >, <) are often combined with English
Xby analogy with mainstream usage of &. The use of prefix `!' as a
Xloose synonym for `not-' or `no-' is particularly common; thus,
X`!clue' is read `no-clue' or `clueless'.
X
XAnother habit is that of using enclosure to genericize a term; this
Xderives from conventions used in <BNF>. Uses like the following are
Xcommon:
X
X So this <ethnic> walks into a bar one day, and...
X
XIn flat-ASCII renderings of the Jargon File, you will see <> used in
Xexactly this way to bracket words which themselves have entries in the
XFile. This isn't done all the time for every such word, but it is
Xdone everywhere that the reader needs specially to be aware that the
Xterm has a jargon meaning and might wish to refer to its entry.
X
XOne quirk that shows up frequently in the email style of UNIX hackers
Xin particular is a tendency for some things which are normally
Xall-lowercase (including usernames and the names of commands and C
Xroutines) to remain uncapitalized even when they occur at the
Xbeginning of sentences. It is clear that for many hackers, the case of
Xsuch identifiers becomes a part of their internal representation and
Xcannot be overridden without mental effort (an appropriate reflex
Xbecause UNIX and C both distinguish cases and confusing them can lead
Xto lossage). The *rest* of us simply avoid using these
Xconstructions at the beginning of sentences.
X
XFinally, it should be noted that hackers exhibit much less reluctance
Xto use multiply-nested parentheses than is normal in English. Partly
Xthis is almost certainly due to influence from LISP ((which uses
Xdeeply nested parentheses (like this) in its syntax) (a lot (see?))),
Xbut it has also been suggested that a more basic hacker trait of
Xenjoying playing with complexity and pushing systems to their limits
Xis in operation.
X
XInternational Style
X===================
X
XAlthough the Jargon File remains primarily a lexicon of hacker
Xusage in American English, we have made some effort to get input from
Xabroad. Though the hacker-speak of other languages often uses
Xtranslations of English slang (often as transmitted to them by earlier
XJargon File versions!) the local variations are interesting, and
Xknowledge of them may be of some use to traveling hackers.
X
XThere are some references to `Commonwealth English'. These are
Xintended to describe some variations in hacker usage as reported in
Xthe English spoken in Great Britain and the Commonwealth (Canada,
XAustralia, India etc., though Canada is heavily influenced by American
Xusage) There is also an entry on COMMONWEALTH HACKISH, which see.
X
XHackers in Western Europe and (especially) Scandinavia are reported
Xto often use a mixture of English and their native languages for
Xtechnical conversation. Occasionally they develop idioms in their
XEnglish usage which are influenced by their native-language styles.
XSome of these are reported here.
X
XA note or two on hackish usages in Russian have been added where they
Xare parallel with and comprehensible to English-speakers.
X
XUNIX Conventions
X================
X
XReferences such as `malloc(3)' and `patch(1)' are to UNIX
Xfacilities (some of which, such as patch(1), are actually freeware
Xdistributed over USENET). The UNIX manuals use `foo(n)' to refer
Xto item foo in section (n) of the manual, where n=1 is utilities, n=2
Xis system calls, n=3 is C library routines, n=6 is games, and n=8
X(where present) is system administration utilities. Sections 4, 5,
Xand 7 have changed roles frequently and in any case are not referred
Xto from any of the entries.
X
XPronunciation Guide
X===================
X
XPronunciation keys are provided in the jargon listing for all
Xentries which are neither dictionary words pronounced as in standard
XEnglish nor obvious compounds of same. Slashes bracket a phonetic
Xpronunciation to be interpreted using the following conventions:
X
X 1. Syllables are hyphen-separated, except that an apostrophe
X or back-apostrophe follows each accented syllable (the
X back apostrophe marks a secondary accent in some words of
X four or more syllables).
X
X 2. Consonants are pronounced as in American English. The letter
X "g" is always hard (as in "got" rather than "giant");
X "ch" is soft ("church" rather than "chemist"). The letter
X "j" is the sound that occurs twice in "judge". The letter
X "s" is always as in "pass", never a z sound (but it is
X sometimes doubled at the end of syllables to emphasize this).
X The digraph `dh' is the th of `these clothes', not of `thick'.
X The digraph `kh' is the guttural of `loch' or `l'chaim'.
X
X 3. Vowels are represented as follows:
X
X a back, that
X ah father, palm
X ar far, mark
X aw flaw, caught
X ay bake, rain
X e less, men
X ee easy, ski
X eir their, software
X i trip, hit
X ie life, sky
X o cot, top
X oh flow, sew
X oo loot, through
X or more, door
X ow out, how
X oy boy, coin
X uh but, some
X u put, foot
X y yet
X yoo few
X [y]oo oo with optional fronting as in `news' (noos or nyoos)
X
XAn at-sign is used for the "schwa" sound of unstressed or occluded
Xvowels (the one that is often written with an upside-down "e"). The
Xschwa vowel is omitted in syllables containing vocalic r, l, m or n;
Xthat is, "kitten" and "color" would be rendered /kit'n/ and
X/kul'r/, not /kit'@n/ and /kul'@r/.
X
XEntries are sorted in case-blind ASCII collation order (rather than
Xthe letter-by-letter order ignoring interword spacing common in
Xmainstream dictionaries). The case-blindness is a feature, not
Xa bug.
X
XThe Jargon Lexicon
X******************
X
X {= =}
X
X<@-party> /at-part'ee/ n. (also "@-sign party" /at-sien par'tee/)
X Semi-closed parties thrown at SF conventions (esp. the annual
X Worldcon) for hackers; one must have a <network address> to get in,
X or at least be in company with someone who does. One of the most
X reliable opportunities for hackers to meet face to face with people
X who might otherwise be represented by mere phosphor dots on their
X screens. Compare <boink>.
X
X<@Begin> [primarily CMU] n. SCRIBE equivalent of <\Begin>.
X
X<(TM)> [USENET] ASCII rendition of the trademark symbol, appended to
X phrases that the author feels should be recorded for posterity,
X perhaps in the Jargon File. Sometimes used ironically as a form of
X protest against the recent spate of software and algorithm patents,
X and "look and feel" lawsuits.
X
X</dev/null> [from the UNIX null device, used as a data sink] n. A
X notional `black hole' in any information space being discussed,
X used or referred to. A controversial posting, for example, might
X end "Kudos to rasputin@kremlin.org, flames to /dev/null". See
X <bit bucket>, <null device>.
X
X<2 infix> n. In translation software written by hackers, infix 2 often
X represents the syllable "to" with the connotation "translate
X to"; as in dvi2ps (DVI to PostScript), int2string (integer to
X string) and texi2roff (Texinfo to [nt]roff).
X
X<\Begin> with \End, used humorously in writing to
X indicate a context or to remark on the surrounded text. From the
X LaTex command of the same name. For example:
X
X \Begin{Flame}
X Predicate logic is the only good programming language.
X Anyone who would use anything else is an idiot. Also,
X computers should be tredecimal instead of binary.
X \End{Flame}
X
X The Scribe users at CMU and elswhere used to use @Begin/@End in
X an identical way. On USENET, this construct would more frequently
X be rendered as "<FLAME ON>" and "<FLAME OFF>".
X
X {= A =}
X
X<ACK> /ak/ interj. 1. [from the ASCII mnemonic for 0000110]
X Acknowledge. Used to register one's presence (compare mainstream
X "Yo!"). An appropriate response to <ping> or <ENQ>. 2. [prob.
X from the Bloom County comic strip] An exclamation of surprised
X disgust, esp. in "Oop ack!". Semi-humorous. 3. Used to politely
X interrupt someone to tell them you understand their point. See
X <NAK>. Thus, for example, you might cut off an overly long
X explanation with "Ack. Ack. Ack. I get it now". See also <NAK>.
X
X There is also a usage "ACK?" (from sense #1) meaning "Are you
X there?", often used in email when earlier mail has produced no
X reply, or during a lull in <talk mode> to see if the person has
X gone away (the standard humorous response is of course <NAK>
X (sense #2), i.e. "I'm not here").
X
X<adger> /adj'r/ [UCLA] v. To make a bonehead move that could have been
X foreseen with a slight amount of mental effort. E.g., "He started
X removing files and promptly adgered the whole project." Compare
X <dumbass attack>.
X
X<ad-hockery> /ad-hok'@r-ee/ [Purdue] n. 1. Gratuitous assumptions
X made inside certain programs, esp. expert systems, which lead to
X the appearance of semi-intelligent behavior, but are in fact
X entirely arbitrary. 2. Special-case code to cope with some awkward
X input which would otherwise cause a program to <choke>, presuming
X normal inputs are dealt with in some cleaner and more regular way.
X
X<ADVENT> /ad'vent/ n. The prototypical computer adventure game, first
X implemented on the <PDP-10> by Will Crowther as an attempt at
X computer-refereed fantasy gaming, and expanded into a
X puzzle-oriented game by Don Woods. Now better known as Adventure,
X but the <TOPS-10> operating system only permitted 6-letter
X filenames.
X
X This game defined the terse, dryly humorous style now expected in
X text adventure games, and popularized several tag lines that have
X become fixtures of hacker-speak. "A huge green fierce snake bars
X the way!" "I see no X here." (for X some noun). "You are in a
X maze of twisty little passages, all alike". The "magic words"
X <xyzzy> and <plugh> also derive from this game.
X
X Crowther, by the way, participated in the exploration of the
X Mammoth/Flint Ridge cave system; it actually *has* a `Colossal
X Cave' and a `Bedquilt' as in the game, and the `Y2' that also turns
X up is cavers' jargon for a map reference to a secondary entrance.
X
X<AI koans> pl.n. A series of pastiches of Zen teaching riddles created
X at the MIT AI Lab around various major figures of the Lab's
X culture. A selection are included in Appendix A. See also <ha ha
X only serious> and <HUMOR, HACKER>.
X
X<aliasing bug> [C programmers] n. A class of subtle programming errors
X which can arise in code that does dynamic allocation via `malloc(3)'.
X If more than one pointer addresses (`aliases for') a given hunk of
X storage, it may happen that the storage is freed through one alias
X and then referenced through another, leading to subtle (and
X possibly intermittent) lossage depending on the state and the
X allocation history of the malloc <arena>. Avoidable by use of
X allocation strategies that never alias allocated core. Also called
X a <stale pointer bug>. See also <precedence lossage>, <smash the
X stack>, <fandango on core>, <memory leak>, <overrun screw>, <spam>.
X
X<ALT> [PDP-10] n.obs. Alternate name for the ASCII ESC character,
X after the keycap labeling on some older terminals. Also
X "ALT-MODE". This character was almost never pronounced
X "escape" on an ITS system, in TECO, or under TOPS-10 -- always
X ALT, as in "type ALT ALT to end a TECO command" or "ALT U onto
X the system" (for "log onto the [ITS] system"). This was
X probably because ALT is more convenient to say than "escape",
X especially when followed by another ALT or a character (or another
X ALT *and* a charcater, for that matter!).
X
X<alt bit> /ahlt bit/ [from alternate] adj. See <meta bit>.
X
X<Aluminum Book> [MIT] n. `Common Lisp: The Language', by Guy L.
X Steele Jr., Digital Press, first edition, 1984, second edition
X 1990. Strictly speaking, only the first edition is the aluminum
X book, since the second edition has a yuccky pale green cover. See
X also <Blue Book>, <Red Book>, <Green Book>, <Silver Book>, <Purple
X Book>, <Orange Book>, <White Book>, <Pink-Shirt Book>, <Dragon
X Book>.
X
X<amoeba> /@'mee-b@/ n. Humorous term for the Commodore Amiga
X personal computer.
X
X<amp off> [Purdue] v. To run in <background>. From the UNIX shell `&'
X operator.
X
X<angle brackets> [primarily MIT] n. Either of the characters "<" and
X ">" (ASCII less-than or greater-than signs). The <Real World>
X angle bracket used by typographers is actually taller than a
X less-than or greater-than sign. See <broket>, <ASCII>.
X
X<AOS> /aus/ (East coast), /ay-ahs/ (West coast) [based on a PDP-10
X increment instruction] v.,obs. 1. To increase the amount of
X something. "Aos the campfire." Usage: considered silly, and now
X obsolescent. See <SOS>. Now largely supplanted by <bump>. 2. A
X crufty <Multics>-derived OS supported at one time by Data General.
X
X<app> /ap/ n. Short for `application program', as opposed to a systems
X program. What systems vendors are forever chasing developers to do
X for their environments so they can sell more boxes. Hackers tend
X not to think of the things they themselves run as apps; thus, in
X hacker parlance the term excludes compilers, program editors,
X games, and messaging systems, though a user would consider all
X those apps. Oppose <tool>, <operating system>.
X
X<arena> [UNIX] n. The area of memory attached to a process by `brk(2)'
X and `sbrk(2)' and used by `malloc(3)' as dynamic storage. So named
X from a semi-mythical `malloc: corrupt arena' message supposedly
X emitted when some early versions became terminally confused. See
X <overrun screw>, <aliasing bug>, <memory leak>, <smash the stack>.
X
X<arg> /arg/ n. Abbreviation for "argument" (to a function), used so
X often as to have become a new word (like "piano" from
X "pianoforte"). "The sine function takes one arg, but the
X arc-tangent function can take either one or two args". Compare
X <param>, <var>.
X
X<asbestos cork award> n. Once, long ago at MIT, there was a <flamer>
X so consistently obnoxious that another hacker designed, had made,
X and distributed posters announcing that said flamer had been
X recognized by the "asbestos cork award". Persons in any doubt as
X to the intended application of the cork should consult the
X etymology under <flamer>. Since then, it is agreed that only a
X select few have risen to the heights of bombast required to earn
X this dubious dignity --- but there's no agreement on *which*
X few.
X
X<asbestos longjohns> n. Metaphoric garments often donned by <USENET>
X posters just before emitting a remark they expect will elicit
X <flamage>. Also "asbestos underwear", "asbestos overcoat",
X etc.
X
X<ASCII> [American Standard Code for Information Interchange] /as'kee/
X n. Common slang names for ASCII characters are collected here. See
X individual entries for <bang>, <close>, <excl>, <open>, <ques>,
X <semi>, <shriek>, <splat>, <twiddle>, <what>, <wow>, and <Yu-Shiang
X whole fish>. This list derives from revision 2.2 of the USENET
X ASCII pronunciation guide. Single characters are listed in ASCII
X order, character pairs are sorted in by first member. For each
X character, "official" names appear first, then others in order of
X popularity (more or less).
X
X!
X exclamation point, exclamation, bang, factorial, excl,
X ball-bat, pling, smash, shriek, cuss, wow, hey, wham
X
X"
X double quote, quote, dirk, literal mark, rabbit ears
X
X#
X number sign, sharp, crunch, mesh, hex, hash, flash, grid,
X pig-pen, tictactoe, scratchmark, octothorpe, thud
X
X$
X dollar sign, currency symbol, buck, cash, string (from
X BASIC), escape (from <TOPS-10>), ding, big-money, cache
X
X%
X percent sign, percent, mod, double-oh-seven
X
X&
X ampersand, amper, and, address (from C), andpersand
X
X'
X apostrophe, single quote, quote, prime, tick, irk, pop,
X spark
X
X()
X open/close parenthesis, left/right parenthesis,
X paren/thesis, lparen/rparen, parenthisey, unparenthisey,
X open/close round bracket, ears, so/already, wax/wane
X
X*
X asterisk, star, splat, wildcard, gear, dingle, mult
X
X+
X plus sign, plus, add, cross, intersection
X
X,
X comma, tail
X
X-
X hyphen, dash, minus sign, worm
X
X.
X period, dot, decimal point, radix point, point, full stop,
X spot
X
X/
X virgule, slash, stroke, slant, diagonal, solidus, over, slat
X
X:
X colon
X
X;
X semicolon, semi
X
X<>
X angle brackets, brokets, left/right angle, less/greater
X than, read from/write to, from/into, from/toward, in/out,
X comesfrom/ gozinta (all from UNIX), funnel, crunch/zap,
X suck/blow
X
X=
X equal sign, equals, quadrathorp, gets, half-mesh
X
X?
X question mark, query, whatmark, what, wildchar, ques, huh,
X hook
X
X@
X at sign, at, each, vortex, whorl, whirlpool, cyclone, snail,
X ape, cat
X
XV
X vee, book
X
X[]
X square brackets, left/right bracket, bracket/unbracket,
X bra/ket, square/unsquare, U turns
X
X\
X reversed virgule, backslash, bash, backslant, backwhack,
X backslat, escape (from UNIX), slosh.
X
X^
X circumflex, caret, uparrow, hat, chevron, sharkfin, to ("to
X the power of"), fang
X
X_
X underscore, underline, underbar, under, score, backarrow
X
X`
X grave accent, grave, backquote, left quote, open quote,
X backprime, unapostrophe, backspark, birk, blugle, back tick,
X push
X
X{}
X open/close brace, left/right brace, brace/unbrace, curly
X bracket, curly/uncurly, leftit/rytit, embrace/bracelet
X
X|
X vertical bar, bar, or, or-bar, v-bar, pipe, gozinta, thru,
X pipesinta (last four from UNIX)
X
X~
X tilde, squiggle, approx, wiggle, twiddle, swung dash, enyay
X
X Some other common usages cause odd overlaps. The ``$'', ``#'', and ``&''
X chars, for example, are all pronunced `hex' in different
X communities because various assemblers use them as a prefix tag for
X hexadecimal constants (in particular, $ in the 6502 world and & on
X the Sinclair and some other Z80 machines).
X
X<asymptotic> adj. Infinitely close to. This is used in a
X generalization of its mathematical meaning to allege that something
X is <within epsilon of> some standard, reference or goal (see
X <epsilon>).
X
X<autobogotiphobia> /aw'to-boh-got'@-foh`bee-uh/ n. See <bogotify>.
X
X<automagically> /aw-toh-maj'i-klee/ or /aw-toh-maj'i-k@l-ee/ adv.
X Automatically, but in a way which, for some reason (typically
X because it is too complicated, or too ugly, or perhaps even too
X trivial), the speaker doesn't feel like explaining to you. See
X <magic>. "The C-INTERCAL compiler generates C, then automagically
X invokes `cc(1)' to produce an executable."
X
X<awk> n. 1. [UNIX] An interpreted language developed by Aho, Weinberg
X and Kernighan, characterized by: C-like syntax, a BASIC-like
X approach to variable typing and declarations, associative arrays,
X and field-oriented text processing. See also <PERL>. 2. Editing
X term for an expression awkward to manipulate through normal regular
X expression facilities.
X
X {= B =}
X
X<backbone cabal> n. A group of large-site administrators who pushed
X through the <Great Renaming> and reined in the chaos of <USENET>
X during most of the 1980s. The cabal mailing list disbanded in late
X 1988 after a bitter internal catfight, but the net hardly noticed.
X
X<back door> n. A hole in the security of a system deliberately left in
X place by designers or maintainers. The motivation for this is not
X always sinister; some operating systems, for example, come out of
X the box with privileged accounts intended for use by field service
X or the vendor's maintenance programmers. Historically, back doors
X have often lurked in systems longer than anyone expected or
X planned, and a few have become widely known. The famous RTM worm
X of late 1988, for example, used a back door in the BSD UNIX
X `sendmail(1)' utility. Syn. <trap door>; may also be called a
X "wormhole". See also <iron box>, <cracker>, <worm>, <logic
X bomb>.
X
X<background> vt.,adj. A task running in background is detached from
X the terminal where it was started (and often running at a lower
X priority); oppose <foreground>. Nowadays this term is primarily
X associated with <UNIX>, but it was appears first to have been used
X in this sense on OS/360. By extension, to do a task "in
X background" is to do it whenever <foreground> matters are not
X claiming your undivided attention, and "to background" something
X means to relegate it to a lower priority. Compare <amp off>,
X <slopsucker>.
X
X<Bad Thing> [from the 1926 Sellers & Yeatman parody `1066 and All
X That'] n. Something which can't possibly result in improvement of
X the subject. This term is always capitalized, as in "Replacing
X all of the 9600 baud modems with bicycle couriers would be a Bad
X Thing." Oppose <Good Thing>. British correspondents confirm that
X <Bad Thing> and <Good Thing> (and prob. therefore <Right Thing> and
X <Wrong Thing>) come from the book referenced in the etymology,
X which discusses rulers who were Good Kings, but Bad Things. This
X has apparently acreated mainstream idiom on their side of the pond.
X
X<bagbiter> /bag'biet-@r/ n. 1. Something, such as a program or a
X computer, that fails to work, or works in a remarkably clumsy
X manner. Example: "This text editor won't let me make a file with
X a line longer than 80 characters! What a bagbiter!" 2. A person
X who has caused you some trouble, inadvertently or otherwise,
X typically by failing to program the computer properly. Synonyms:
X <loser>, <cretin>, <chomper>. 3. Also in the form <bagbiting> adj.
X Having the quality of a bagbiter. `This bagbiting system won't let
X me compute the factorial of a negative number.' Compare <losing>,
X <cretinous>, <bletcherous>, <barfucious> (under <barf>) and
X <chomping> (under <chomp>). 4. <bite the bag> vi. To fail in some
X manner. "The computer keeps crashing every five minutes." "Yes,
X the disk controller is really biting the bag." The original
X loading of these terms was almost undoubtedly obscene, probably
X referring to the scrotum, but in their current usage they have
X become almost completely sanitized.
X
X<bamf> /bamf/ [from old X-men comics] interj. Notional sound made by a
X person or object teleporting in or out of the hearer's vicinity.
X Often used in <virtual reality> (esp. <MUD>) electronic fora when a
X character wishes to make a dramatic entrance or exit.
X
X<bandwidth> n. 1. Used by hackers in a generalization of its technical
X meaning as the volume of information per unit time that a computer,
X person or transmission medium can handle. "Those are amazing
X graphics but I missed some of the detail --- not enough bandwidth,
X I guess." 2. Attention span. 3. Very loosely, total data volume.
X "Never underestimate the bandwidth of a station-wagon full of
X magtapes." 4. On <USENET>, a measure of network capacity that is
X often wasted by people complaining about how network news items
X posted by others are a waste of bandwidth.
X
X<bang> 1. n. Common spoken name for `!' (ASCII 33), especially when
X used in pronouncing a <bang path> in spoken hackish. In elder days
X this was considered a CMUish usage, with MIT and Stanford hackers
X preferring <excl> or <shriek>; but the spread of UNIX has carried
X <bang> with it (esp. via the term <bang path>) and it is now
X certainly the most common spoken name for `!'. Note that it is
X used exclusively for non-emphatic written `!'; one would not say
X "Congratulations bang.", but if one wanted to specify the exact
X characters "FOO!", one would speak "Eff oh oh bang". See
X <shriek>, <ASCII>. 2. interj. An exclamation signifying roughly
X "I have achieved enlightenment!" or "The dynamite has cleared
X out my brain!". Often used to acknowledge that one has
X perpetrated a <thinko> immediately after one has been called on it
X
X<bang path> n. An old-style UUCP electronic-mail address specifying
X hops to get from some assumed-reachable location to the addressee,
X so called because each hop is signified by a <bang> sign. Thus the
X path "...!bigsite!foovax!barbox!me" directs correspondents to
X route their mail to machine bigsite (presumably a well-known
X location accessible to everybody) and from there through the
X machine "foovax" to the account of user "me" on "barbox".
X See <Internet address>, <network, the>, and <sitename>.
X
X<bar> /bar/ 1. The second metasyntactic variable, after <foo> and
X before <baz>. "Suppose we have two functions FOO and BAR. FOO
X calls BAR..." 2. Often appended to <foo> to produce <foobar>.
X
X<bare metal> n. 1. New computer hardware, unadorned with such snares
X and delusions as an <operating system>, <HLL> or even assembler.
X Commonly in the phrase "programming on the bare metal" which
X refers to the arduous work of <bit-bashing> needed to create these
X basic tools for a new machine. Real bare-metal programming
X involves things like building boot proms and BIOS chips,
X implementing basic monitors used to test device drivers, and
SHAR_EOF
chmod 0644 jsplit.aa || echo "restore of jsplit.aa fails"
if [ $TOUCH = can ]
then
touch -am 0103154591 jsplit.aa
fi
exit 0