1. [Unix] Ken Thompson, principal inventor
of Unix. In the early days he used to hand-cut distribution
tapes, often with a note that read "Love, ken". Old-timers still
use his first name (sometimes uncapitalized, because it's a login
name and mail address) in third-person reference; it is widely
understood (on Usenet, in particular) that without a last name
`Ken' refers only to Ken Thompson. Similarly, Dennis without last
name means Dennis Ritchie (and he is often known as dmr). See
also demigod, Unix. 2. A flaming user. This was
originated by the Software Support group at Symbolics because the
two greatest flamers in the user community were both named Ken.
Unix /yoo'niks/ n.
[In the authors' words, "A weak pun
on Multic very early on it was `UNICS'] (also `UNIX') An
interactive time-sharing system invented in 1969 by Ken Thompson
after Bell Labs left the Multics project, originally so he could
play games on his scavenged PDP-7....