======================CONNOTATIONS======================================
                      Brief Sports Terminology Reference
                      A Guide to Political, Sexual and Social Connotations
                      FAST-US-8 'Power, Pride & Politics in American English'
                      Department of Translation Studies, University of Tampere
To Play Ball (with)   To cooperate with, deal with
Out of the Ball Park  In baseball, a "home run" -- but also meaning
                      "irrelevant," "impossible to deal with"
Ball park figures     Within acceptable limits, rough estimate
Out of our league     Better than us
Not in our league     Inferior to us
Major, big leagues    Highest level of "professionalism"
"Bush" league         Cheap, lower-than-acceptable
                      professionalism or ethics
Jock                  Originally from 'jock strap', made by the Jockey
                      sportswear company; colloquial for "athlete",
                      stereotype of "not intellectual", jock mentality
Batting 1000          Doing perfectly, successful at every
                      stage, in every way.
To Score              General:  to achieve, to impress someone (I
                      really scored with her).  Sexual:  to make a
                      sexual conquest, to consummate a sexual
                      relationship (Did you score?;
Getting to 1st base   Baseball.  Getting started, being encouraged,
                      usually as in a relationship (I didn't even get
                      to 1st base!)
It's a new ball game  A new chance, a fresh slate; a situation in which
                      we start again "from scratch"
Playing hard ball     Playing with no rules, no holds barred; tough
                      negotiations; no prentense of politeness.
Beanball, "duster"    To "dust one off" -- intimidate, throw a baseball
                      at or near one's head as a warning or as
                      retaliation
"Left field"          (Way out in left field, all the way from left
                      field, etc) Implies remote position or distance
                      from the mainstream, not being a part of the core
                      action, etc.
Touch base with       Check with, keep in touch with people, keep them
                      posted on a situation.
To strike out         To fail (baseball)
Time out              A breather, time to pause and rest from what one
                      is doing, reconsider.
Locker room (talk)    male privacy, familiarity; frank sexual talk, not
                      for "mixed company"
7th inning stretch    Pause near end of an activity, to refresh,
                      reflect on encounter, etc.
Throw a curve         To deceive, trick, tactically confuse
2 strikes against him Down to his last option, no "second chance", odds
                      loaded against success
He struck out         He failed
He has "clout"        Power, influence, leverage
Squeeze play          "Sneaking" something through with a minor action
                      where a major action might normally have been
                      expected
To field questions    (baseball) Handling questions with dexterity,
                      counter to "sidestepping the issue"
                      (bullfighting)
Doubleheader          Two main parts or features to an event
Double play           Two "victories" with the same action
Mon morn quarterback  A person who second-guesses, looks back after
                      the fact to say what should have been done.
Take  ball and run    Make the most of your opportunities; to with it
                      capitalize on options when offered
The clock's run out   no time left
Football              military/sexual phrases:"Shotgun"formation,"rifle arm,"
                      throwing a bullet, throwing a bomb, blitzing,
                      offense/defense, defensive "sectors" of
                      territory, probe the defense, searching for the
                      "soft sector" of the defense, penetration of the
                      defense, field general (quarterback)
Second stringer       Not first quality in ability
No-win situation      Neither side can win; neither alternative of
                      action seems productive
Offside(s)            (Also ice hockey, soccer football, etc) To be too
                      eager, enthusiastic, "out of bounds," engaging in
                      slightly improper or illegal conduct
Game Plan             Strategy for winning, accomplishing something
Team player           One who cooperates, doesn't rock the boat, is loyal
Out of bounds         Off 'playing field', not legal, not done, not acceptable
Getting "the apple"   Becoming very nervous, incapacitated
Stalling for time     using delaying tactics
An end run            trying to go around the main opposition
Drop back and punt    Turning the initiative over to the other side for
                      a tactical advantage
Heavyweight (boxing)  Person who is taken seriously, highly regarded in
                      their field, influential
Knockout (boxing)     Used as a compliment for a good-looking woman
Ringside seats        Close to the stage, to the "action"
A contender           Having a chance to get, do, something
Below the belt        Being unfair, unjust, in a destructive way,
                      unethical, illegal (boxing)
Saved by the bell     getting out of a bad situation just in time by
                      something out of your control
Palookaville          Obscurity, either a place or condition; from
                      comic strip boxer Joe Palooka, i.e. dumb, stupid,
                      brute force
Taking a dive         "Arranged" Losing of an event; To throw a fight,
                      the fight was 'fixed'
A long shot           Not much chance, but some; a risk or gamble that
                      could pay off beautifully
Wasn't up to scratch  Wasn't of the quality expected to even start
                      competing in something
A "stud"              (Sexual) Male promiscuity, or male sexual
                      attractiveness, potency; putting horses 'out to stud'
To jockey for positon Maneuver for tactical advantage
Your serve            (tennis)      Your turn to lead, take the initiative
Dealt a poor hand     (Cards):  fate was against someone
not playing           with a full deck:  persons mentally inferior to others
                      who are playing
TV Sports Announcer   Lingo -- (Top)
                     "With the NCAA tournament coming to a climax in
                      Indianapolis, it's time to bone up on some Al
                      McGuireisms" [Al McGuire is a former U.S. college
                      basketball coach and well-known TV sportscaster. Many of
                      the terms below are also commonly used by other TV
                      sportscasters]
AIRCRAFT CARRIER:     The ultimate big man--a franchise maker.
BELLY:                The weaknesses on the other team.
CHECKERBOARD:         Black/white situation.
CUPCAKE:              A team that comes down from North Dakota and plays
                      with snowshoes.
CURTAIN TIME:         Pick up the hymn books, it's all over.
DANCE-HALL PLAYER:    A fella that thinks he can score more than
                      2 points at once [NB -- before the introduction of the
                      3-point shot].
DYNAMITE:             Out of sight. Top shelf.
DUNKIRK:              A blowout, that's all she wrote.
EAST CUPCAKE:         An easy opponent; A chance to play reserves.
FRENCH PASTRY:        Hollywood, going for Oscar, performing
                      unnecessarily.
A KEEPER:             Quality player, good to be around; Bo Derek.
LAST MASS             AT SUMMER RESORT: Lightning fast.
MERRY-GO-ROUND:       Yellow ribbons and winning tourneys.
NOSE-BLEEDER:         A guy who can sky; a super rebounder.
OUT-OF-THE-GATE:      The first three minutes; sets the norm of the game.
PARK AVENUE:          Top shelf, the ultimate in class.
PUSH (or TOSSUP):     Even; a cliffhanger.
QUICK WHISTLE:        High school whistle.
SEASHELLS             AND BALLOONS:     Pleasing, desirable.
SLOW WHISTLE:         NBA whistle; refs blow it slower.
TAP CITY:             It's all over; Auerbach's cigar!
TENTH AVENUE ROUGH:   West Side Story; a physical game.
THREE O'CLOCK         SHOOTER   Great practice player, zero in game.
THOROUGHBRED:         God given athlete or a Final Four team.
UPTICK:               Team that hasn't reached full potential.
WHISTLE BLOWER:       With three officials, the third official.
WHITE KNUCKLER:       Dow to the wire.
Ass_Mule              domesticated, hybrid 
                      from crossing mare (female horse)and  jack (male donkey).
Ass_Donkey            A domesticated ass.
Ass_JackAss:          A four-footed, hoofed mammal related
                      to the horse, but smaller, with longer ears
                      and a shorter mane, shorter hair on the
                      tail, and a dark stripe along the back.
                      difference between jackass and donkey is domestication  
                      ass is wild; the donkey is domesticated.
Ass_burro             is a small donkey that is often used as a
                      pack animal because it is particularly  sure-footed.
asteroid strike       quarter of world's population would die. 
                      annual risk of impactone in a half a million,
                      lifetime risk of 1 in 30,000...
                      annual risk of the impact is one in a half a million, 
                      that gives an annual risk o fdying of one in 2m, 
                      and a lifetime risk of 1 in 30,000...
                      1 in 2m risk an equivalent annual death-rate 
                      of 2,700 worldwide, 390 in the rich countries."
baby_boomer_age       WWII ended around 1945, baby boom started in 1946
                      boom lasted for 19 years, 76 million total births. 
                      over three million new babies in the first year,
                      annual rate quickly climbed toover four million per year
                      In 1964, rate fell below that number,thus boom was over.
gringo_originate      most likely source of 'gringo' 
                      is Spanish word 'gringo' itself, means 'foreigner' or
                      'unintelligible gibberish.'  root of 'gringo,'
                      in turn, is thought to have been 'griego,'
                      Spanish for 'Greek,' applied as slang to any foreigner."
                      Further research led us to conclude that this
                      offering "griego" as the immediate root of gringo.
"Ibid_quoted         "ibid" is short for ibidem, 
                      Latin for "in the same place." It's
                      an expression used in bibliographies when
                      authors repeatedly cite the same source. So
                      instead of typing out Sharks: Mighty Finned
                      Killers of the Deep every time you refer to the
                      book you used in your science project, you
                      simply type "Ibid" for each reference after the
                      first one, then cite the page number to which
                      you're referring.
Knock on Wood         done to prevent bad luck.also done after boasting
                      humbleness still being a virtue, despite 90s.
                      ancient Celtic people worshipped  tree 
                      as foremost earthly representation of gods.
                      If bad fortune visited, if battle about to be fought, 
                      power of a tree was  invariably brought into force. 
                      Druidic priest performed 
                      all of his rituals and incantations
                      within  sacred arbors. trees consumed 
                      all evil demons back into ground.
                      We still touch wood today, for wood takes  
                      evil spirit and quickly sends it plummenting to earth.
Lunar Reflector       Works Through Silver Anniversary
                      July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 set up a laser reflector 
                      precise measurements of  distance between Earth and moon.
                      round trip takes about 2.5 seconds within  (1 inch). 
                      designed primarily by James Faller 
                      of Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics, o
                      perated cooperatively by NIST and University of Colorado. 
                      briefcase-sized aluminum panel studded with 
                      100 corner reflectors
                      (corners of precision-ground glass cubes cut 
                      off at 45 degree angles), 
                      each about 3.8 centimeters (1.5 inches) across. 
                      light enters cut-off surface,internally reflected 
                      from three sides of  corner, 
                      exits the cut-off surface parallel to its entry path 
                      and then returns to its source. 
                      same principle used in bicycle reflectors. 
                      Apollo 14 and 15 missions delivered two other
                      Faller-designed reflectors,including one 
                      with 300 cube corners. 
                      All three reflectors are targeted almost nightly 
                      by scientists at observatories in Texas and France. 
Movie_best_boy        we enclosed "best boy" in double quotes 
                      to indicate that both words should appear together, 
                      and added theterms gaffer and grip to search string like
                      this: +gaffer +"best boy" +grip
Movie_gaffer          is chief electrician orlighting technician 
                      on a production set 
Movie_best_boy        is the gaffer's first mate.
                      Both work for director of photography,
                      setting up lights and equipment, orchestrating the shoot. 
Movie_Grips           are crewmembers who move equipment 
                      and assemble it on the set or on location. 
Movie_key_grip        is chief of this crew is known as
                      As you might expect, the bigger
                      the production the more exotic credits like
                      dolly grip, wrangler, greensman and Foleyartist.  
outhouses_moon        crescent moon on outhouses  represent?
                     "In earlier times when few people could read,
                      the star on the door was for the men, and the
                      moon for the ladies." Why the star? Why the
                      moon? Truth be told, we've got no idea.  
Ten Rules Chivalry    Thou shalt believe all the church teaches
                      and observe all its directions
                      Thou shalt defend the church
                      Thou shalt respect all weaknesses and 
                      shalt constitute thyself the defender of them
                      Thou shalt love the country in which thou wast born
                      Thou shalt not recoil before thine enemy
                      Thou shalt make war against the Infidel 
                      without cessation and without mercy
                      Thou shalt perform scrupulosuly the fuedal duties, 
                      if they be not contrary to the laws of God
                      Thou shalt never lie 
                      and remain faithful to thy pledged word
                      Thou shalt be generous and give largesse (?) to everyone
                      Thou shalt be everywhere and always the 
                      champion of the Right and Good
                      and the foe of Injustice and Evil 
TV satellites         in geosynchronous orbits approximately 22,000 miles 
                      (35,420 km) away, impossible  unless big telescope. 
                      asynchronous orbits only 200 or 300 miles away.  
                      Use binoculars on  clear night when not a bright moon. 
                      Ensure your watch set to  match a known time standard. 
                      A north-south orbit often indicates a spy satellite!
Twinkie_Defense       A claim by criminal defendant that was
                      of diminished mental capacity 
                      due to intake of too much sugar, 
                      as from eating "Twinkies," sugar-rich snacks.
                      defense successfully used in case 
                      of former San Francisco Country Supervisor Dan White.
                      On November 27, 1978, in San Francisco, Dan
                      White, who had recently resigned from his city
                      supervisor position, climbed through a basement
                      window in City Hall and walked upstairs to
                      Mayor George Moscone's office. He demanded his
                      job back, and when Moscone refused, White
                      fatally wounded mayor with four gunshots.
                      White quickly reloaded, walked down the hall to
                      the office of Harvey Milk,first openly gay
                      person to hold public office,killed with five gunshots.
                      In White's trial, his defense attorneys stated
                      that he was suffering from "diminished
                      capacity," a defense that was permissible in
                      California at that time. White's lawyers argued
                      that he suffered from depression and was
                      therefore incapable of any premeditation.
                      Psychiatrist Martin Blinder testified that
                      White was addicted to junk food and that too
                      much sugar could have had an effect on the
                      brain and worsened White's depression. Blinder
                      offered the junk food addiction as evidence of
                      the depression, rather than a cause for the
                      crime. This distinction failed to make it into
                      the media accounts of the trial, however.
                      The defense worked. The jury found White guilty
                      of the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter
                      and sentenced him to six years. Many residents
                      of San Francisco were outraged and riots broke out
                      In 1982, California voters approved a
                      proposition to abolish the "diminished
                      capacity" defense.
                      Dan White served his time, was paroled in 1985,
UNIX" stand for?      Short answer: Unix stands for 
                      UNiplexed Information and Computing System. (It was
                      originally spelled "Unics.")
                      Long answer: Coined in 1969 to describe a
                      specific computer operating system, the term
                      "Unix" now covers a whole host of variations,
                      including Linux, FreeBSD, and Solaris. The name
                      was intended as a pun on an earlier system
                      called "Multics" (Multiplexed Information and
                      Computing Service).
                      That sidesplitting pun is the key to
                      understanding the acronym, since the word
                      "uniplexed" doesn't seem to mean anything in
                      particular. ("Multiplexed" refers to a
                      communications system able to carry many
                      messages simultaneously.)



Academic Placenta     last of one's academic ideology after first years  
                      in the real world.
Angry Garden Salad    poorly designed user interface 
                      produces an odd graphical effect without understanding.
Authortisement        Presentation given as subtle plug to hire 
                      author as consultant. such as Seminars in Silicon Valley.
B.A.D.                (Broken As Designed)
                      product fails to perform intentionally 
                      either from misunderstanding, or on purpose
Banana Problem        What you don't expect will take a lot of effort
                      for big dumb gorillas) to handle
                      "One Banana"  "Two Banana" for typically easy.
BCBS                  (Big Company, Big School)
                      high profile company and school
                      usually trying to suppress  small,independent development
BDU                   (Brain Dead User) user didn't follow documentation 
                      calling technical support.
Big Banging           Creating a single product which takes in features 
                      of two or more products. 
Bit Busting           Writing very low levelM assembly language.
Bit Busting           on bare metal"
                      writing  first machine instructions executed 
                      on the CPU when power is applied.
Bit Bucket            Well those commands just went into the bit bucket 
                      since the modem wasn't turned on.
Bloatware             Software with excessive features for minority of users
                      Usually happens on  third major release
                      software package that comes with demos 
                      making the installation process longer.
Boat Anchor           Computer so obsolete, 
Borgware              Software which requires  use of other products by
                      the same company. Microsoft
Booboo                just out of college, especially an engineer
                      does not have real world economic factors in mind
Buzzword Specialist   can impress management and customers with an
                      astounding knowledge of industry buzzwords, 
                      has no real  knowledge of  technology. Marketing Puke
Cappuccino Sipper     too much pure academic / theoretical background.
                      "Cap. Heads" usually work with lots of CASE tools,  
                      statistical analysis packages 
                      and an excess of graphical visualization tools
                      prefer languages like: SmallTalk, LISP, pure ANSI C++ 
                      considers the  product to "... just makes the
                      theory into reality."
Chartware             Software exists only on overhead projector
Chat-fly              (a.k.a. Cyber-barfly)
                      A lady who hangs out in on-line chat rooms 
                      sweet talking others to buy her time to keep on-line
                      like hanging out at bars so others buy them drinks.
Cluster F**k          many things going wrong at same time from one action.
Code 18               An error made by the user.  
                      Refers to 18 inches from the computer display. 
Command Line          Weenie or Liner
                      prefers using command line instead of Point 'n' Click.
Compile Time          Activities done  waiting to finish compiling. 
C.R.A.P.              Cheap Redundant Assorted Products
                      cheaper / inferior product sells better.
Critical Path         used as a way to warn people  not to disturb AT ALL!!!!  
Curry                 innovative technique or technology really in demand 
Curry Network         company LAN kept running fast and well thus "hot".   
                      Origin:  well cared equipment rooms
                      have strong curry smell. because curried lunches a
                      are consumed right in the equipment room 
                      since network administrators spend  much time there.  
Dead Tree Edition     A paper hard copy of a report.
Deadfish, Idaho       fictional American mid-west town1 
                      know for  very "normal" and typical people 
                      without imagination nor innovation,
                      creative ability is considered "cult".
                      also source for innovative talent in Silicon Valley 
Demo Monkey           marketing puke has to demo a product, 
                      but hasn't a clue how it works,
                      recruit a programmer or QA Puke to run a demo. 
                      better demo givers are called Demo Monkeys by the Suits.
Digital Kudzu         Software which places artifacts 
                      into every nook and cranny of computer's file system.
Down Time             network is so slow 
DRI                   Directly Responsible Individual
Drowndex              convention no real innovations only incremental improve
Drump                 (dumpy lump) typically, a middle-aged, pot bellied,  
                      sexually frustrated, single person 
                      who has given up on dating.
                      accepted life  alone for career and hobbies.
"East Coasting"       Doing something  reflects eastern United States mindset.
                      * placing emphasis on hierarchy and management decisions
                      * being uptight and angry continually
                      * blindly following a precedence decision
                      * viewing new graduates as targets for mental abuse
"Enabled"             yuppie management term
                      means someone  given necessary resources 
The (Evil) Empire     of the North
                      Any big software company in the Pacific Northwest 
                      who takes pot shots at Silicon Valley. Linda Sinkovic
Extended Beta         The Production Release will be 'Real Soon Now'.
Facer                 salesperson or public speaker, able to wax interest 
                      to create a positive reaction 
                      to one they are talking with at moment. 
                      very good at not having their intention chalk up thescene.
FCS                   (First Customer Ship) when a company becomes real 
                      buy shipping a product for the first time.
flowie                tall, thin, long legged woman 
                      dressed in long flowing skirts 
                      either earth tones or bright colors.
"Five and Dime"       (a.k.a. "Nickel and Dime")
                      Refers to American telephone area code 510. 
                      covers  east San Francisco Bay area, 
                      most notably Oakland and Berkeley,
Forced Coolness       (or Forced Hip)
                      artificial company image 
                      that makes them appeal to "younger, with it generation" 
                      in fact company's culture not that style.
Forced Downgrade      Demoted (usually from executive level job) 
                      to a totally meaningless job
                      with intentions of person being forced to quit 
Four-O-Four (404)     Isn't where you are looking for it.  
                      Origin:  web error code when  page isn't found. 
F.Y.I.F.V.            Acronym ("F**k You!  I'm fully vested!") 
                      very common term in Silicon Valley Start-ups.  
                      Means that ones holdings are totally held 
                      without any penalties if they leave the company.  
                      In other words, they are rich.
F.R.E.D.              Acronym (F**king Ridiculous Electronic Device) 
                      used to name your computer or answer machine 
"G word, the"         Among programmers, refers to the goto command 
                      commonly associated with bad programming form 
                      and spaghetti code. Almost a taboo to use.
Geeking, Double       using two computers at the same time. 
                      triple geeking is using three computers at once.
Generation            (what kind of hacker you are)
First Generation      hackers (born 1950 to 1969) 
                      usually have one word handles 
                      (i.e. Stealth, Sunspot, Matrix) , 
second generation     hackers (born 1970 to 1989) 
                      have two word handles 
                      (i.e. Phiber Optic, Snake Lord, Acid Run) 
baby hackers          (born after 1989) are using phrases 
                      to describe themselves 
                      (i.e. Enter the Night, Midnight Lightning Stroke 
                      and Reaching for Stars).
Genius Killer         executive that tries to suppress innovation 
                      for fear that it will interrupt cash flow 
                      of an established product.
"grepping"            search in a very methodical manner.  Origin:  
                      grep (short for "global regular expression print").
"hacker type"         undisciplined engineer 
                      does technology for idle curiosity and fulfillment.
Hacking               quickly completed without much understanding 
                      to apparent short term results.
Hand Holding          Tech support done solely 
                      to give customer confidence about what they are doing.
                      they just wantsomeone around with more experience
Hands-Off Manager     Doesn't complain when you get in late, 
                      allows you to do the project your way" 
                      respects your abilities 
Hands-On Manager      manager who still does a little coding 
                      just to keep in touch with reality. 
High Visibility       Position
                      you screw up, you'll get fired 
                      everyone will know
I/O Error             Error cause by an I gnorant O perator. 
                      really saying, "Hey, an Ignorant Operator." 
                      Origin:  Input/Output Error. Ross Newberry
I-d-10-t error        (Otherwise known as the idiot error) 
                      When a 'puter illiterate whines
                      A) It's not plugged in. or
                      B) it's not "Exactly" the way it looked yesterday.
"In the Stocks"       1) Having a job or assignment 
                      be on the company's site for a full 40 hour week
                      Typically to one that is used to "off site" jobs. 
                      2) Moving from contracting to a full time, 
                      salary position for career "safety".
"In the Zone"         One who so busy at writing software 
                      or any other development effort,
                      they completely shut
                      putting all of their attention to it. 
Initiative            Deliberately disobeying a destructive order 
                      and being right in the long run 
                      (like the original Mac engineers who put in a
                      greater RAM capacity than Steve Jobs permitted)
Kid Sibling           Management  style of decision making 
                      one almost always follows  logic of person 
                      the manager replaced. One does not use their own
                      solely follows position precedence.
                      Origin: Akin to one acting like a big brother or sister 
                      since oneself is not established enough.
LA                    (as in "doing an LA")
                      * putting style and looks before substance and function
                      * putting a Hollywood movie production style schedule 
                      * hiring someone for their looks.
Lasagna Syndrome      writing a piece of software 
                      with too many dialog boxes over-lapping
                      each other to complete a task.
Legacy Media          "old press" radio, television  newspapers.
                      reads like a newspaper. receiver is totally passive
Lemming               only produces products solely on a customer demand basis 
                      without taking any initiative to lead product innovation. 
"Let's Discuss        That Off-Line"
                      used in heated meeting.
                      it's easier to talk behind their backs. 
"a Little Short       On RAM"
                      one does not possess the mental capacities that
                      are required for the task at hand.
L.M.F.D.A.            "Leave My F**king Data Alone." 
LOPSOD                "Long On Promises, Short On Delivery". 
                      product with a lot of hype 
Loser Error           Errors caused by a user 
                      who blames most of their work related problems
                      on the computer.
"Losing Our           Virginity"  first time you gave up equity 
                      in the company to a VC investor.
Lumpy                 overweight, over intellectual, introverted person 
                      who hangs out at trade shows and sci-fi conventions.  
                      Usually turns into a Drump in later life.
"Magic Smoke"         The substance you see escape out of computers 
                      right after they stop working.  
                      This condescending joke has come about 
                      to explain to naive there is "magic smoke"
                      inside computer chips
Mainframe             Management   dated management group. 
Meatloaf              Unsolicited personal mass mail.
                      Usually created by someone who collects 
                      personal e-mails from discussion groups,
                      Then ones personal rants and raves are mailed
                      off whether or not the receiver cares for what's insid.   
                      Origin:  A relative to Spam but is "home made"
Management by         Spreadsheet Very mindless and irresponsible decision 
                      one's data comes solely from poorly weighted statistics; 
Meeting Engineer      spends more time in meetings than doing actual work.
                      tend to complain  they're in meetings all the time. 
Middles,              Three Deadly
                      middle manager, middle class and middle aged. 
                      Three out of three -- Panic!! -- and
                      make sure you get something out of your mid-life crisis.
Middle School Dance   two pieces of equipment 
                      both waiting for the other to initiate communication 
                      thus resulting in no exchange at all.
                      Origin: Reflects typical adolescent school social 
Milker                consultant or contractor 
                      over an unneeded length of time to get more money 
Marketing Puke        lacks a fundamental understanding of a product 
                      or market and works solely off buzz-words,
NCG                   (New College Graduate)  very impressionable person 
                      great deal of zeal and willingness to do anything.
Nerd Bird             weekday direct airline flight between Austin, Texas 
                      and San Jose, California. 
Nerve Center          where  most communication and decisions occur 
Network Pirate        harasses other people on the network, 
                      usually within a comany's LAN, just to get their jollies
                      will brazenly look at other peoples' files 
                      generally do obnoxious things, 
                      such as sending unwanted sound files to your computer
                      at the most embarrasing of times. 
"Nine to Five Code"   Software that is ordinary and plain. 
                      not real innovation and just gets the job done.
"Out of the Garage"   a company has moved into its first
                      real office and is now "professional". 
                      Origin: The Garage that Hewlett-Packard
                      was started in Palo Alto, CA during the 1930's.
Overgrad              Someone in a full-time, salaried professional position
                      that still uses academic politics and attitudes. 
                      assuming popularity makes for career progress. 
                      expressing concern in strong voice 
                      while not having ability nor actions to follow through
                      false affinity for others to forward themself 
                      and using ones personality and charm 
                      to forward their position without personal production. 
                      Orgin: From the phrase "Not over graduation yet." 
Parade                traveling over long distances to demonstrate products.
PEBCAK                "Problem Exists Between Chair And Keyboard". 
                      Acronym slang for idiot operator errors 
Pencil In             tentatively planned but no commitment made.
Pin Bender            Shoddy Technician  
PITA Fee              "extended service fee" or "additional delivery cost" 
                      added on a bill or invoice 
                      done when the customer has been a total "Pain in the A*s"
Ponytails             those in creative/art director positions. 
Potato Server         server in network which operates suspiciously slower 
Prairie Dogging       everyone in cubicles  stand up and peer 
                      over the tops of their cubicles 
                      Usually comes from a big fight or something 
Pro-Active            means that one should handle situations 
                      before they turn into flaps, 
                      all-too-often used by managers to "delegate" work 
                      to subordinates they themselves should actually be doing. 
Profile-digger        (a.k.a. Cyber-golddigger)
                      A lady who goes over on-line chats, 
                      personal bios and profiles of services like AOL, 
                      for findingsingle, rich man to latch-on to 
                      and spend their money in a one way relationship.
Progammer's Butt      "bubble butt" outside of the high-tech field. 
                      what programmers get from long hours of coding 
                      combined with using pizza as their staple food.                                        
QA Pukes              Quality Assurance (QA) department. 
                      Testers and QA personnel get no respect 
                      QA folks have been known to find bugs at the most
                      inopportune moments, like two hours before Golden Master
Quadruplitory         Development four different engineers 
                      assigned to same task, complete ignorance of each other
Real Programming      writing software with no debugging facilities at all.
                      Famous systems were made this method 
                      since there were no tools yet created to debug them.
Re-Start Up           A company who's initial business plan failed 
                      but still has resources to change direction 
                      in attempt to survive.
RFR                   If a product looks like it will make you 
                      REALLY F*CKING RICH, 
RFS                   will ship REALLY F*CKING SOON. 
RTFM                  "Read the F**king Manual".
Scarecrow Technology  hyped-up piece of technology  when examined 
                      has no uniqueness nor value other than image. 
Schedule-Driven       product to be shipped by a certain date 
                      whether or not its ready 
Screen-Saver Face     look one gets when bored to the point of 
                      just shutting off their brain.
Self-Starter          Doesn't need orders to operate. 
                      have enough confidence gets in when  feels like it
SEP                   bug, bad business policy or other general snafu,
                      usually implemented despite your advise
Shareware Girl        lady that is everybody's darling 
Sheeple               Short for "Sheep People". 
                      1) Groups who reactively act from saturation
                      advertising, go along with the crowd. 
                      2) Those who let "group think" 
                      affect their decisions instead 
                      3) those who's purchasing habits matching 
                      that of large demographics by 80% or greater. 
Shelfware             (a.k.a. Coasterware) Software  so worthless 
                      it remains in the shrink-wrapped box on
                      the shelf above your desk.
Shovelware            CD-ROMs that have no content organization at all.
                      The data was just blindly copied on 
                      requires excessive searching to find something useful.
Show                  Trade show where products are exhibited.
"Singing 'Daisy'..."  The final action of a computer 
                      when it is being brought down for good;
                      Origin:  2001: A Space Odyssey 
Skeet                 handheld device or small desktop unit 
                      either so faulty or obsolete thatgood for skeet shooting 
SLIRK                 "Smart Little Rich Kid". A very bratty, pretentious, 
                      young child with great technical prowess 
                      using daddy's money for "toys."
                      become either fantastic entrepreneur / engineers 
                      or totally renegade, technical criminals 
Smoke Test            first time electrical power is applied 
                      If board does not smoke it has passed the Smoke Test.
Sneakernet            data is transferred between workstations 
                      by copying it to a floppy and walking it 
                      to the intended workstation. 
Spaghetti Code        Software  execution path is so tangled and confusing 
                      it is almost impossible to understand. 
                      Often brought about by overuse of the G word.
Start-Up              company starting from the ground up. 
                      new name  formed, people something is created.
S.T.B.Y.              "Sucks to be you". said when person you talking to 
                      really screwed up. 
Strawman              (a.k.a. Strawdog) a proposal  everyone expects to fail 
                      but it gets your group noticed. Example: 
                      "This is just a strawman proposal to see if we can
                      generate any interest from the marketing weenies."
"the Suits"           After startup gets to a certain size, 
                      "the suits" start to drift in
                      sales/marketing/finance types 
                      wear a buttoned-down shirt and tie even the CEO doesn't. 
                      tend to be very political and backstabbing, 
                      motivated by money, not by the passion of technology
Synergy               two or more people getting together to do a job 
                      without anyone knowing the overall skills needed.
Team Player           engineer with no backbone who just "yes"'es 
Techno-Babble         words specifcally arranged 
                      ment to overwhelm the newbie as to
                      resist the weak spirited in the computer industry 
                      thus creating a cult feeling to those "in the know"
Ten Dollar            Solution   Anything that works infinitely better 
                      than that "new thing" and the superior technology 
                      is at least 30 years old. (i.e. trying to follow a
                      ballgame on a Real Audio plugin vs. 
                      a ten dollar transistor radio)
Theory Design         (a.k.a. Scientific Design, Generalization Engineering,
                      Head-in-the-clouds Development)
                      ill-fated development method 
                      too much generalization and theory used.  
                      one just "stops and thinks" way too often. 
                      Many developers do this after a series of product
                      failures and thus "gun shy" of implementation. 
Think Time            "idle event". during  long compile 
                      or a slow network connection
Thunk                 1) software calling oldered software of smaller word size 
                      2) Using older mindset out of conveince -manage decisions.
"Three A.M. Code"     Software written in a very original, 
                      hackly or unorthodox manner. It is usually innovative 
                      breaking a lot of the "rules" of good design in
                      order to get a product shipping. 
                      Origin: time of day code like this is usually written.
"Throw                it over the wall"
                      pass it off to the next group to worry about it
TLA departments       "Three Letter Acronym". department that does
                      not have any apparent function at all.
Tofu                  made too general in use or appearance for anying specific.
Tofu Syndrome         making software or a product so general and portable 
                      that it does not take any advantage of 
                      special features of the machine it is being run on.
Torpedo               an unproductive person going to a rival organization,
                      sometimes with  encouragement.
Triority              three things your manager would have you do at once. P
Uninstalled           Fired or laid off
Valley Wash-Out       one in the high-tech business 
                      who had an established career and elsewhere 
                      by taking: a cut in pay, a more secure" position, 
                      or "gave up on the scene". They dramatization 
                      of how much better it is where they are and how
                      tough it is out here.
Vapourware            (or " vaporware " as you Americans spell it)
                      soft/hardware  advertised for months 
                      but isn't available in any shape or form
Visionary             industry opinion leaders like Steve Jobs and Bills Gate
                      mean someone who has ability to see into future 
                      and/or can envision a brilliant new technology, 
                      usually means someone who sees the value in the work 
                      other people have done. 
VRBS                  (Virtual Reality Bulls**t) any talk about a technology 
                      so far reaching, no immedate application can be created.
Waldo                 demo given with great showmanship 
                      for a product with little innovation or creativity.
"The Way"             1) Having a very instant, zen-like understanding 
                      of a problem and how to solve it. 
                      2) Possessing the ability to know how to write complex
                      software and complete it 
                      without any rewriting or major adjustment.
Worder                anyone who use personal computers only for writing, 
WOMBAT                "Waste of Money Brains and Time".
                      suitable to describe a person, product or project.
"You're good."        very high compliment one engineer can give to another. 
                      states  one's work is appreciated 
Zapping               altering assembly code in hex format 
                      after run through a complier or assembler.
                      typically when  a compiler bug,
                      Origin:  old IBM mainframe days of  1960's
                      where field units were updated in exact manner.  
Andrew S. Tanenbaum   "The nice thing about standards is that you have so 
                      many to choose from." 







Asgard                The home of Norse gods. To reach this land one had to 
                      cross bridge Bifrost (rainbow). Asgard was divided into a 
                      number of separate kingdoms, each 
                      ruled over by a different god. Valhalla was ruled by 
                      Odin, Thrudheim by Thor, etc. The walls surrounding 
                      Asgard were built by Hrimthurs, who asked in 
                      payment hand of Freyja plus sun and moon. Odin agreed 
                      providing walls be complete in six months. Hrimthurs had 
                      a magic horse, named 
                      Svadifari, who helped him in his work. To Odin (and 
                      other gods, especially Freyja)'s horror, with but a few 
                      days left, Hrimthurs was almost finished. Loki, 
                      trickster, turned himself into a mare and beguiled 
                      stallion Svadifari away. The job was not completed in 
                      time and no payment was given.                       
Balder (Baldur)       (Norse) Balder was second son of Odin, chief of gods, 
                      and Frigg. His mother took oaths from all plants, 
                      creatures, elements and metals that they would 
                      not harm him, all except mistletoe plant for she felt it 
                      was too young and too small to harm him. He was therefore 
                      thought to be immune from harm and 
                      other gods, in sport, would throw things at him. Loki, 
                      god of mischief, deceived Hod (Hoder), a blind god and 
                      Balder's brother, into throwing a spear made 
                      from mistletoe at Balder, thereby killing him. He is 
                      taken to Hel, and Frigg searches out Hella to find out 
                      what can be done to bring him back. Hella says that 
                      if every living thing will weep for Baldur, she will 
                      release him. Frigg is able to secure pledges from all 
                      living creatures except for an old woman named Thokk, 
                      who is actually Loki in disguise. Baldur, therefore, 
                      still waits in Hel with his wife, and will come out again 
                      only after Ragnarok to help rule new world. .
Berserks              In old-Norse sagas, were warriors 
                      who dressed themselves in bear skins,
                      to make use of fear common people had for wild animals
                      They whipped themselves up to a sort of battle frenzy, 
                      biting their shields and howling like animals. 
                      were ferocious fighters and seemingly insensitive to pain
                      while this madness lasted; 
                      berserks made formidable enemies. In their rage
                      they even attacked the boulders and trees of  forest; 
                      it was not uncommon that they killed their own people.
                      belief in berserks can be compared with 
                      belief in werewolves; both are magical transformations 
                      of humans who assume the shape of an kindred animal.
                      Etymology: (Old-Norse) bear sark "bear shirt".
Bifrost               (Bilfrost, Asbru)
                      In Norse mythology, Bifrost is bridge between Midgard, 
                      realm of man, and Asgard, realm of the gods. 
                      Since it is the only way for  giants
                      to enter Asgard it is closely guarded by Heimdall, 
                      watchman of  gods. Bifrost was made of three colors 
                      with magic and great skill by the Aesir and
                      is incredibly strong. It is also called Asbru, 
                      referring to its makers. At
                      end of the cosmos, this rainbow-bridge will collapse.
Bifrost               gods built a bridge from earth to heaven
                      called Bifrost. Some call it the rainbow.
                      It has three colors and is very strong, 
                      made with more skill and cunning than other structures.
                      But strong as it is, it will break when the sons of 
                      Muspell ride out over it. The gods
                      are not to blame that this structure
                      will then break. 
Fafnir                The Norse dragon that guarded the treasure 
                      of the Nibelungs. This firedrake was later slain by
                      Siegfried.                          
Midgard               To protect themselves from  hostile giants, sons of Bor 
                      built for themselves an inland stonghold, 
                      using Ymir's eyebrows. This stonghold they named Midgard.
Midgard Serpent       Giant serpent of Norse mythology that
                      circumferenced the earth. It is often identified with
                      Jormungandr.                      
Vanir                 In Norse myth, the Vanir are originally a 
                      group of wild nature and fertility
                      gods and goddesses, the sworn enemies of the 
                      warrior gods of the Aesir. They
                      were considered to be the bringers of health, 
                      youth, fertility, luck and
                      wealth, and masters of magic. Vanir live in Vanaheim.
                      The Aesir and the Vanir had been at war 
                      for a long time when they decided to
                      make peace. To ensure this peace they traded hostages: 
                      the Vanir sent their
                      most renowned gods, the wealthy Njord and
                      his children Freya and Freyr. In
                      exchange the Aesir sent Honir, a big,
                      handsome man who they claimed was
                      suited to rule. He was accompanied by Mimir, 
                      the wisest man of the Aesir and
                      in return the Vanir sent their wisest man Kvasir.
                      Honir however, was not as smart as the Aesir 
                      claimed he was and it Mimir who
                      gave him advice. The Vanir grew suspicious 
                      of the answers Honir gave when
                      Mimir was not around. Eventually they 
                      figured out that they had been cheated
                      and they cut Mimir's head off and sent
                      it back to the Aesir. Fortunately,
                      this betrayal did not lead to another war 
                      and all the gods of the Vanir were
                      subsequently integrated with the Aesir. 
                      There is not much known about the
                      Vanir of the time before the assimilation.
                      The name "Vanir" might be derived from 
                      the old-Norse word vinr which means
                      "friend".