Jargon File

Jargon File

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wink /twink/ n. 1. [Berkeley] A clue-repellant use
the next step beyond a clueless one. 2. [UCSC] A read-only user....
wirling baton n. [PLATO] The overstrike sequence -/|\-/|\- which produces an animated twirling baton.
If you output it with a single backspace between characters, the baton spins in place....
wo pi quant. The number of years it takes to finish one's thesis.
Occurs in stories in the following form: "He started on his thesis; 2 pi years later......
wo-to-the-N quant. An amount much larger than N but smaller than infinity.
I have 2-to-the-N things to do before I can go out for lunch" means you probably won't show up....
wonkie /twon'kee/ n. The software equivalent of a Twinkie (a variety of sugar-loaded junk food, or (in gay slang with a small t) the male equivalent of `chick')
a useless `feature' added...
u- pref. Written shorthand for micro-; techspeak when applied to metric units, jargon when used otherwise.
Derived from the Greek letter "mu", the first letter of "micro" (and which ...
UBD /U-B-D/ n. [abbreviation for `User Brain Damage'] An abbreviation used to close out trouble reports obviously due to utter cluelessness on the user's part.
Compare pilot error; oppose...
UBE // n. [abbrev., Unsolicilted Bulk Email] A widespread, more formal term for email spam.
Compare UCE....
UCE n. [abbrev., Unsolicited Commercial Email] A widespread, more formal term for email spam.
Compare UBE, which may be superseding it....
UDP /U-D-P/ v.,n. [Usenet] Abbreviation for Usenet Death Penalty.
Common (probably now more so tha and frequently verbed. Compare IDP....

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