Jargon File

Jargon File

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balloonian variable n. [Commodore users; perh. a deliberate phonetic mangling of `boolean variable'?
] Any variable that doesn't actually hold or control state, but must nevertheless be dec...
bamf /bamf/ 1. [from X-Men comics; originally "bampf"] interj.
Notional sound made by a person or object teleporting in or out of the hearer's vicinity....
banana label n. The labels often used on the sides of macrotape reels, so called because they are shaped roughly like blunt-ended bananas.
This term, like macrotapes themselves, is still...
banana problem n. [from the story of the little girl who said "I know how to spell `banana', but I don't know when to stop"].
Not knowing where or when to bring a production to a close (c...
binary four n. [Usenet] The finger, in the sense of `digitus impudicus'.
This comes from an analogy between binary and the hand, i....
bandwidth n. 1.
bang 1. n. Common spoken name for ! (ASCII 0100001), especially when used in pronouncing a bang path in spoken hackish.
In elder days this was considered a CMUish usage, with MIT and Sta...
bang on vt. To stress-test a piece of hardware or software
"I banged on the new version of the simulator all day yesterday and it didn't crash once....
bang path n.
banner n. 1. The title page added to printouts by most print spoolers (see spool).
Typically includes user or account ID information in very large character-graphics capitals....

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