The Jargon File v2.2.1 15 DEC 1990, part 6 of 10

[Eric S. Raymond]

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X   speaker's present circumstances while the latter implies a
X   continuing lose of which the speaker is presently victim.  Thus
X   (for example) a temporary hardware failure is a loss, but bugs in
X   an important tool (like a compiler) are serious lossage.
X
XLPT /lip'it/ [ITS] n. Line printer, of course.  Rare under UNIX,
X   commoner in hackers with MS-DOS or CP/M background (the printer
X   device is called LPT: on those systems, which like ITS were
X   strongly influenced by early DEC conventions).
X
XLURKER n. One of the `silent majority' in a USENET or BBS newsgroup;
X   one who posts occasionally or not at all but is known to read the
X   group regularly.  Often in `the lurkers', the hypothetical audience
X   for the group's FLAMAGE-emitting regulars.
X
XLUNATIC FRINGE [IBM] n. Customers who can be relied upon to accept
X   release 1 versions of software.
X
XLUSER /loo'zr/ n.  A USER who is probably also a LOSER.  (LUSER and
X   LOSER are pronounced identically.)  This word was coined about 1975
X   at MIT.  Under ITS, when you first walked up to a terminal at MIT
X   and typed Control-Z to get the computer's attention, it prints out
X   some status information, including how many people are already
X   using the computer; it might print "14 users", for example.
X   Someone thought it would be a great joke to patch the system to
X   print "14 losers" instead.  There ensued a great controversy, as
X   some of the users didn't particularly want to be called losers to
X   their faces every time they used the computer.  For a while several
X   hackers struggled covertly, each changing the message behind the
X   back of the others; any time you logged into the computer it was
X   even money whether it would say "users" or "losers".  Finally,
X   someone tried the compromise "lusers", and it stuck until ITS
X   died in early 1990. The usage lives on, however, and the term
X   `luser' is often seen in program comments.
X
X                                {= M =}
X
XMACDINK /mak'dink/ [from the Apple Macintosh, which is said to
X   encourage such behavior] v.  To make many incremental and
X   unnecessary cosmetic changes to a program or file.  Frequently the
X   subject of the macdinking would be better off without them.  Ex:
X   "When I left at 11pm last night, he was still macdinking the
X   slides for his presentation."
X
XMACINTRASH /mak'in-trash/ The Apple Macintosh, as described by a
X   hacker who doesn't appreciate being kept away from the
X   _real_computer_ by the interface.  See also WIMP ENVIRONMENT,
X   DROOL-PROOF PAPER, USER FRIENDLY.
X
XMACRO /mak'ro/ n. A name (possibly followed by a formal ARG list)
X   which is equated to a text expression to which it is to be expanded
X   (possibly with substitution of actual arguments) by a language
X   translator.  This definition can be found in any technical
X   dictionary; what those won't tell you is how the hackish
X   connotations of the term have changed over time.  The term `macro'
X   originated in early assemblers, which encouraged use of macros as a
X   structuring and information-hiding device.  During the early 70s
X   macro assemblers became ubiquitous and sometimes quite as powerful
X   and expensive as HLLs, only to fall from favor as improving
X   compiler technology marginalized assembler programming (see
X   LANGUAGES OF CHOICE). Nowadays the term is most often used in
X   connection with the C preprocessor, LISP, or one of several
X   special-purpose languages built around a macro-expansion facility
X   (such as TeX or UNIX's nroff, troff and pic suite). Indeed, the
X   meaning has drifted enough that the collective `macros' is now
X   sometimes used for code in any special-purpose application-control
X   language (whether or not the language is actually translated by
X   text expansion) as well as other "expansions" such as the
X   "keyboard macros" supported in some text editors (and PC TSR
X   keyboard enhancers).
X
XMACROLOGY /mak-ro'l at -jee/ n. Set of usually complex or crufty macros,
X   e.g. as part of a large system written in LISP, TECO or (less
X   commonly) assembler.  Sometimes studying the macrology of a system
X   is not unlike archaeology, hence the sound-alike construction.
X   Prob. influenced by THEOLOGY (q.v.).
X
XMACROTAPE /ma'kro-tayp/ n. An industry standard reel of tape, as
X   opposed to a MICROTAPE.
X
XMAGIC adj. 1. As yet unexplained, or too complicated to explain
X   (compare AUTOMAGICALLY and Clarke's Third Law: "Any sufficiently
X   advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic").  "TTY
X   echoing is controlled by a large number of magic bits."  "This
X   routine magically computes the parity of an eight-bit byte in three
X   instructions." 2.  Characteristic of something that works but no
X   one really understands why.  3. [Stanford] A feature not generally
X   publicized which allows something otherwise impossible, or a
X   feature formerly in that category but now unveiled.  Example: The
X   keyboard commands which override the screen-hiding features.
X
XMAGIC COOKIE [UNIX] n. 1. Something passed between routines or
X   programs that enables the receiver to perform some OBSCURE
X   operation; a capability ticket.  Especially used of small data
X   objects which contain data encoded in a strange or intrinsically
X   machine-dependent way.  For example, on non-UNIX OSs with a
X   non-byte-stream model of files, the result of ftell(3) may be a
X   `magic cookie' rather than a byte offset; it can be passed to
X   fseek(3) but not operated on in any meaningful way.  2. An in-band
X   code for changing graphic rendition (i.e. inverse video or
X   underlining) or performing other control functions. Some older
X   terminals would leave a blank on the screen corresponding to
X   mode-change cookies; this was also called a GLITCH.
X
XMAGIC NUMBER [UNIX/C] n. 1. Special data located at the beginning of a
X   binary data file to indicate its type to a utility.  Under UNIX the
X   system and various applications programs (especially the linker)
X   distinguish between types of executable by looking for a magic
X   number. 2. In source code, some non-obvious constant whose value is
X   significant to the operation of a program and is inserted
X   inconspicuously in line, rather than expanded in by a symbol set by
X   a commented #define.  Magic numbers in this sense are bad style.
X
XMAGIC SMOKE n. A notional substance trapped inside IC packages that
X   enables them to function (also called "blue smoke"). Its
X   existence is demonstrated by what happens when a chip burns up ---
X   the magic smoke gets let out, so it doesn't work any more.  See
X   SMOKE TEST.
X
XMANGLE v. Used similarly to MUNG or SCRIBBLE, but more violent in its
X   connotations; something that is mangled has been irreversibly and
X   totally trashed.
X
XMANGO [orig. in-house slang at Symbolics] n.  A manager.  See also
X   DEVO and DOCO.
X
XMARGINAL adj. 1. Extremely small.  "A marginal increase in core can
X   decrease GC time drastically."  In everyday terms, this means that
X   it's a lot easier to clean off your desk if you have a spare place
X   to put some of the junk while you sort through it. 2. Of extremely
X   small merit.  "This proposed new feature seems rather marginal to
X   me."  3. Of extremely small probability of winning.  "The power
X   supply was rather marginal anyway; no wonder it fried."  4.
X   MARGINALLY: adv.  Slightly.  "The ravs here are only marginally
X   better than at Small Eating Place." See EPSILON. 4. MARGINAL
X   HACKS: n. Margaret Jacks Hall, a building into which the Stanford
X   AI Lab was moved near the beginning of the '80s.
X
XMARKETROID /mar'k at -troyd/ alt. MARKETING SLIME, MARKETING DROID,
X   MARKETEER n.  Member of a company's marketing department, esp.  one
X   who promises users that the next version of a product will have
X   features which are unplanned, extremely difficult to implement,
X   and/or violate the laws of physics; and/or one who describes
X   existing features (and misfeatures) in ebullient, buzzword-laden
X   adspeak.  Derogatory.  Used by techies.
X
XMARTIAN n. A packet sent on a TCP/IP network with a source address of
X   the test loopback interface (127.0.0.1).  As in "The domain server
X   is getting lots of packets from Mars.  Does that gateway have a
X   Martian filter?"
X
XMASSAGE v. Vague term used to describe `smooth' transformations of a
X   data set into a more useful form, esp.  transformations which do
X   not lose information.  Connotes less pain and more ELEGANCE than
X   MUNCH or CRUNCH (q.v.). "He wrote a program that massages X bitmap
X   files into GIF format." Compare SLURP.
X
XMEATWARE n. Synonym for WETWARE (q.v.). Less common.
X
XMEGAPENNY /meg'a-pen'ee/ n. $10,000 (1 cent * 10e6). Used
X   semi-humorously as a unit in comparing computer cost/performance
X   figures.
X
XMEGO /mego/ or /meego/ [My Eyes Glaze Over, often Mine Eyes Glazeth
X   Over, attributed to the futurologist Herman Kahn] Also MEGO FACTOR.
X   1.  Handwaving intended to confuse the listener and hopefully
X   induce agreement because the listener does not want to admit to not
X   understanding what is going on.  MEGO is usually directed at senior
X   management by engineers and contains a high proportion of TLAs
X   (q.v.). 2. excl. An appropriate response to MEGO tactics.
X
XMELTDOWN, NETWORK n. A state of complete network overload; the network
X   equivalent of THRASHing. See also BROADCAST STORM.
X
XMEME /meem/ [coined on analogy with `gene' by Richard Dawkins] n. An
X   idea considered as a REPLICATOR. Used esp. in the prase `meme
X   complex' denoting a group of mutually supporting memes which form
X   an organized belief system, such as a religion.  This dictionary is
X   a vector of the "hacker subculture" meme complex; each entry
X   might be considered a meme.  However, "meme" is often misused to
X   mean "meme complex". Use of the term connotes acceptance of the
X   idea that in humans (and presumably other tool-and language-using
X   sophonts) cultural evolution by selection of adaptive ideas has
X   superseded biological evolution by selection of hereditary traits.
X   Hackers find this idea congenial for tolerably obvious reasons.
X
XMEMETICS /me-me-tiks/ [from MEME] The study of memes.  As of 1990,
X   this is still an extremely informal and speculative endeavor,
X   though the first steps towards at least statistical rigor have been
X   made by H. Keith Henson and others.  Memetics is a popular topic
X   among hackers, who like to see themselves as the architects of the
X   new information ecologies in which memes live and replicate.
X
XMEME PLAGUE n. The spread of a successful but pernicious MEME, esp.
X   one which `parasitizes' the victims into giving their all to
X   propagate it.  Astrology, BASIC, and the other guy's religion are
X   often considered to be examples.  This usage is given point by the
X   historical fact that `joiner' ideologies like Naziism or various
X   forms of millenarian Christianity have exhibited plague-like cycles
X   of exponential growth followed by collapse to small `reservoir'
X   populations.
X
XMEMORY LEAK [C/UNIX programmers] n. An error in a program's
X   dynamic-store allocation logic that causes it to fail to reclaim
X   discarded memory, leading to attempted hogging of main store and
X   eventual collapse due to memory exhaustion.  Also (esp. at CMU)
X   called CORE LEAK, LEAKY HEAP. See ALIASING BUG, FANDANGO ON CORE,
X   SMASH THE STACK, PRECEDENCE LOSSAGE, OVERRUN SCREW.
X
XMENUITIS /men`yoo-i'tis/ n. Notional disease suffered by software with
X   an obsessively simple-minded menu interface and no escape.  Hackers
X   find this intensely irritating and much prefer the flexibility of
X   command-line or language-style interfaces, especially those
X   customizable via macros or a special-purpose language in which one
X   can encode useful hacks.  See USER-OBSEQUIOUS, DROOL-PROOF PAPER,
X   WIMP ENVIRONMENT.
X
XMESS-DOS /mes-dos/ [UNIX hackers] n. Derisory term for MS-DOS. Often
X   followed by the ritual expurgation "Just Say No!". See MS-DOS.
X   Most hackers (even many MS-DOS hackers) loathe MS-DOS for its
X   single-tasking nature, its limits on application size, its nasty
X   primitive interface, and its ties to IBMness (see FEAR AND
X   LOATHING). Also "mess-loss", "messy-dos", "mess-dog"
X   "mess-loss" "mess-dross" and various combinations thereof.
X
XMETA /meta@/ or /mayt'@/ [from analytic philosophy] adj. One level of
X   description up.  Thus, a meta-syntactic variable is a variable in
X   notation used to describe syntax and meta-language is language used
X   to describe language.  This is difficult to explain out of context,
X   but much hacker humor turns on deliberate confusion between
X   meta-levels.  See HUMOR, HACKER.
X
XMETA BIT /meta@ bit/ or /mayt'@ bit/ n. Bit 8 of an 8-bit character,
X   on in values 128-255. Also called HIGH BIT or ALT BIT. Some
X   terminals and consoles (especially those designed for LISP
X   traditions) have a META-shift key.  Others (including, mirabile
X   dictu, keyboards on IBM PC-class machines) have an ALT key.  See
X   also BUCKY BITS.
X
XMICROFLOPPIES n. 3-1/2 inch floppies, as opposed to 5-1/4 VANILLA or
X   mini-floppies and the now-obsolescent 8-inch variety.  This term
X   may be headed for obsolescence as 5-1/4 inchers pass out of use,
X   only to be revived if anybody floats a sub-3-inch floppy standard.
X
XMICROTAPE n. Occasionally used to mean a DECtape, as opposed to a
X   MACROTAPE.  A DECtape is a small reel of magnetic tape about four
X   inches in diameter and an inch wide.  Unlike standard magnetic
X   tapes, microtapes allow "random access" to the data.  In their
X   heyday they were used in pretty much the same ways one would now
X   use a floppy disk: as a small, portable way to save and transport
X   files and programs.  Apparently the term "microtape" was actually
X   the official term used within DEC for these tapes until someone
X   consed up [invented] the word "DECtape", which of course had more
X   commercial appeal.
X
XMIDDLE-ENDIAN adj. Not BIG-ENDIAN or LITTLE-ENDIAN. Used of byte
X   orders like 3-4-1-2 occasionally found in the packed-decimal
X   formats from minicomputer manufacturers who shall remain nameless.
X
XMILLILAMPSON /mil'i-lamp-sn/ n.  How fast people can talk.  Most
X   people run about 200 millilampsons.  Butler Lampson (a CS theorist
X   highly regarded among hackers) goes at 1000.  A few people speak
X   faster.
X
XMIPS /mips/ [acronym] 1. A measure of computing speed; formally,
X   "Millions of Instructions Per Second"; often rendered by hackers
X   as "Meaningless Indication of Processor Speed". This joke
X   expresses a nearly universal attitude about the value of BENCHMARK
X   (q.v.) claims, said attitude being one of the great cultural
X   divides between hackers and MARKETROIDS.  2. The corporate name of
X   a RISC-chip maker; among other things, they supplied silicon for the
X   DEC 3100 workstation series.
X
XMISBUG [MIT] n. An unintended property of a program that turns out to
X   be useful; something that should have been a BUG but turns out to be
X   a FEATURE.
X
XMISFEATURE /mis-fee'chr/ n. A feature which eventually screws someone,
X   possibly because it is not adequate for a new situation which has
X   evolved.  It is not the same as a bug because fixing it involves a
X   gross philosophical change to the structure of the system involved.
X   A misfeature is different from a simple unforeseen side effect; the
X   term implies that the misfeature was actually carefully planned to
X   be that way, but future consequences or circumstances just weren't
X   predicted accurately.  This is different from just not having
X   thought ahead about it at all.  Often a former feature becomes a
X   misfeature because a tradeoff was made whose parameters
X   subsequently changed (possibly only in the judgment of the
X   implementors).  "Well, yeah, it's kind of a misfeature that file
X   names are limited to six characters, but the original implementors
X   wanted to save directory space and we're stuck with it for now."
X
XMOBY [seems to have been in use among model railroad fans years ago.
X   Derived from Melville's "Moby Dick" (some say from "Moby
X   Pickle").]  1. adj. Large, immense, complex, impressive.  "A
X   Saturn V rocket is a truly moby frob."  "Some MIT undergrads
X   pulled off a moby hack at the Harvard-Yale game." (see Appendix
X   A).  2. n. obs.  The maximum address space of a machine (see
X   Appendix B). Examples: for a PDP-10, a moby is 256K 36-bit words;
X   for a PDP-8, it is 4096 12-bit words; for a 68000 or VAX or most
X   modern 32-bit architectures, it is 4294967296 8-bit bytes.  3.  A
X   title of address (never of third-person reference), usually used to
X   show admiration, respect, and/or friendliness to a competent
X   hacker. "Greetings, moby Dave. How's that address-book thing for
X   the Mac going?"  4.  adj. In backgammon, doubles on the dice, as
X   in "moby sixes", "moby ones", etc.  Compare this with BIGNUMS:
X   double sixes are both bignums and moby sixes, but moby ones are not
X   bignums (the use of term "moby" to describe double ones is
X   sarcastic).  MOBY FOO, MOBY WIN, MOBY LOSS: standard emphatic
X   forms.  FOBY MOO: a spoonerism due to Greenblatt.
X
XMODE n. A general state, usually used with an adjective describing the
X   state.  Use of the word "mode" rather than "state" implies that
X   the state is extended over time, and probably also that some
X   activity characteristic of that state is being carried out. "No
X   time to hack; I'm in thesis mode."  Usage: in its jargon sense,
X   MODE is most often said of people, though it is sometimes applied
X   to programs and inanimate objects. "The E editor normally uses a
X   display terminal, but if you're on a TTY it will switch to
X   non-display mode." This term is normally used in a technical sense
X   to describe the state of a program.  Extended usage --- for example,
X   to describe people --- is definitely slang.  In particular, see HACK
X   MODE, DAY MODE, NIGHT MODE, and YOYO MODE; also TALK MODE and
X   GABRIEL MODE.
X
XMODULO /mod'yuh-low/ prep. Except for.  From mathematical terminology:
X   one can consider saying that 4=22 "except for the 9's" (4=22 mod
X   9) (the precise meaning is a bit more complicated, but that's the
X   idea).  "Well, LISP seems to work okay now, modulo that GC bug."
X   "I feel fine today modulo a slight headache."
X
XMONKEY UP v. To hack together hardware for a particular task,
X   especially a one-shot job.  Connotes an extremely CRUFTY and
X   consciously temporary solution.
X
XMONSTROSITY 1. n. A ridiculously ELEPHANTINE program or system, esp.
X   one which is buggy or only marginally functional.  2.  The quality
X   of being monstrous (see `Peculiar nouns' in the discussion of
X   jargonification).
X
XMOORE'S LAW /morz law/ n. The observation that the logic density of
X   silicon integrated circuits has closely followed the curve (bits
X   per inch ** 2) = 2 ** (n - 1962); that is, the amount of
X   information storable in one square inch of silicon has roughly
X   doubled yearly every year since the technology was invented.
X
XMOTAS /moh-tahs/ [USENET, Member Of The Appropriate Sex] n. A
X   potential or (less often) actual sex partner.  See MOTOS, MOTSS,
X   S.O.
X
XMOTOS /moh-tohs/ [from the 1970 census forms via USENET, Member Of The
X   Opposite Sex] n. A potential or (less often) actual sex partner.
X   See MOTAS, MOTSS, S.O. Less common than MOTSS or MOTAS, which has
X   largely displaced it.
X
XMOTSS /motss/ [from the 1970 census forms via USENET, Member Of The
X   Same Sex] n. Esp. one considered as a possible sexual partner, e.g.
X   by a gay or lesbian.  The gay-issues newsgroup on USENET is called
X   soc.motss.  See MOTOS and MOTAS, which derive from it.  Also see
X   S.O.
X
XMOUNT v. 1. To attach a removable storage volume to a machine.  In
X   elder days and on mainframes this verb was used almost exclusively
X   of tapes; nowadays (especially under UNIX) it is more likely to
X   refer to a disk volume. 2. By extension, to attach any removable
X   device such as a sensor, robot arm, or MEATWARE subsystem (see
X   Appendix A).
X
XMOUSE AHEAD v. To manipulate a computer's pointing device (almost
X   always a mouse in this usage, but not necessarily) and its
X   selection or command buttons before a computer program is ready to
X   accept such input, in anticipation of the program accepting the
X   input.  Handling this properly is rare, but it can help make a USER
X   FRIENDLY program usable by real users, assuming they are familiar
X   with the behavior of the user interface.  Point-and-click analog of
X   "type ahead".
X
XMOUSE AROUND v. To explore public portions of a large system, esp. a
X   network such as Internet via FTP or TELNET, looking for interesting
X   stuff to SNARF.
X
XMOUSO /mow'so/ n. [by analogy with `typo'] An error in mouse usage
X   resulting in an inappropriate selection or graphic garbage on the
X   screen. Compare THINKO.
X
XMS-DOS /em-es-das/ [MicroSoft Disk Operating System] n. A clone of
X   CP/M (q.v.) for the 8088 crufted together in six weeks by hacker
X   Tim Paterson, who is said to have regretted it ever since.  Now the
X   highest-unit-volume OS in history.  Often known as DOS, which
X   annoys people familiar with other similarly-abbreviated operating
X   systems.  See MESS-DOS.
X
XMULTICIAN /muhl-ti'sh at n/ [coined at Honeywell, c.1970] n.  Competent
X   user of MULTICS (q.v.).
X
XMULTICS /muhl'tiks/ n. [from "MULTiplexed Information and Computing
X   Service"] An early (late 1960s) timesharing operating system
X   co-designed by a consortium including MIT, GE and Bell
X   Laboratories, very innovative for its time (among other things, it
X   introduced the idea of treating all devices uniformly as special
X   files). All the members but GE eventually pulled out after
X   determining that SECOND-SYSTEM EFFECT had bloated MULTICS to the
X   point of practical unusability (the `lean' predecessor in question
X   is said to have been CTSS, (q.v.)).  Honeywell comercialized
X   MULTICS after buying out GE's computer group, but it was never very
X   successful (amomg other things, one was required to enter a
X   password to log out).  One of the developers left in the lurch by
X   the project's breakup was Ken Thompson, a circumstance which led
X   directly to the birth of UNIX (q.v.). For this and other reasons
X   aspects of the Multics design remain a topic of occasional debate
X   among hackers.  See also BRAIN DAMAGE.
X
XMUMBLAGE /mum'bl at j/ n. The topic of one's mumbling (see MUMBLE).
X   "All that mumblage" is used like "all that stuff" when it is
X   not quite clear what it is or how it works, or like "all that
X   crap" when "mumble" is being used as an implicit replacement for
X   obscenities.
X
XMUMBLE interj. 1. Said when the correct response is either too
X   complicated to enunciate or the speaker has not thought it out.
X   Often prefaces a longer answer, or indicates a general reluctance
X   to get into a big long discussion.  "Don't you think that we could
X   improve LISP performance by using a hybrid reference-count
X   transaction garbage collector, if the cache is big enough and there
X   are some extra cache bits for the microcode to use?"  "Well,
X   mumble... I'll have to think about it."  2. Sometimes used as an
X   expression of disagreement.  "I think we should buy a VAX."
X   "Mumble!"  Common variant: MUMBLE FROTZ. 3. Yet another
X   metasyntactic variable, like FOO.
X
XMUNCH [often confused with "mung", q.v.] v. To transform information
X   in a serial fashion, often requiring large amounts of computation.
X   To trace down a data structure.  Related to CRUNCH and nearly
X   synonymous with GROVEL, but connotes less pain.
X
XMUNCHING SQUARES n. A DISPLAY HACK dating back to the PDP-1, which
X   employs a trivial computation (involving XOR'ing of x-y display
X   coordinates --- see HAKMEM items 146-148) to produce an impressive
X   display of moving, growing, and shrinking squares.  The hack
X   usually has a parameter (usually taken from toggle switches) which
X   when well-chosen can produce amazing effects.  Some of these,
X   (re)discovered recently on the LISP machine, have been christened
X   MUNCHING TRIANGLES, MUNCHING W'S, and MUNCHING MAZES.  More
X   generally, suppose a graphics program produces an impressive and
X   ever-changing display of some basic form FOO on a display terminal,
X   and does it using a relatively simple program; then the program (or
X   the resulting display) is likely to be referred to as "munching
X   FOOs" (this is a good example of the use of the word FOO as a
X   metasyntactic variable).
X
XMUNCHKIN /muhnch'kin/ n. A teenage-or-younger micro enthusiast bashing
X   BASIC or something else equally constricted.  A term of mild
X   derision --- munchkins are annoying but some grow up to be hackers
X   after passing through a LARVAL STAGE. The term URCHIN is also used.
X   See also BITTY BOX.
X
XMUNDANE [from SF fandom] n.  1.  A person who is not in science
X   fiction fandom. 2.  A person who is not in the computer industry.
X   In this sense, most often an adjectival modifier as in "in my
X   mundane life..."
X
XMUNG /muhng/ alt. MUNGE /muhnj/ [in 1960 at MIT, "Mash Until No
X   Good"; sometime after that the derivation from the recursive
X   acronym "Mung Until No Good" became standard] v.  1.  To make
X   changes to a file, often large-scale, usually irrevocable.
X   Occasionally accidental.  See BLT.  2. To destroy, usually
X   accidentally, occasionally maliciously.  The system only mungs
X   things maliciously; this ia a consequence of Murphy's Law.  See
X   SCRIBBLE, MANGLE, TRASH. Reports from USENET suggest that the
X   pronunciation /muhnj/ is now usual in speech, but the spelling
X   `mung' is still common in program comments. 3. The kind of beans of
X   which the sprouts are used in Chinese food.  (That's their real
X   name!  Mung beans!  Really!)
X
XMUSIC n. A common extracurricular interest of hackers (compare
X   SCIENCE-FICTION FANDOM, ORIENTAL FOOD; see also FILK).  It is
X   widely believed among hackers that there is a substantial
X   correlation between whatever mysterious traits underlie hacking
X   ability (on the one hand) and musical talent and sensitivity (on
X   the other). It is certainly the case that hackers, as a rule, like
X   music and often develop musical appreciation in unusual and
X   interesting directions.  Folk music is very big in hacker circles;
X   so is the sort of elaborate instrumental jazz/rock that used to be
X   called `progressive' and isn't recorded much any more.  Also, the
X   hacker's musical range tends to be wide; many can listen with equal
X   appreciation to (say) Talking Heads, Yes, Spirogyra, Scott Joplin,
X   King Sunny Ade, The Pretenders, or one of Bach's Brandenburg
X   Concerti.  It is also apparently true that hackerdom includes a
X   much higher concentration of talented amateur musicians than one
X   would expect from a similar-sized control group of MUNDANES.
X
XMUTTER v. To quietly enter a command not meant for the ears of
X   ordinary mortals.  Frequently in "mutter an INCANTATION".
X
X                                {= N =}
X
XN /en/ adj. 1. Some large and indeterminate number of objects; "There
X   were N bugs in that crock!"; also used in its original sense of a
X   variable name.  2. An arbitrarily large (and perhaps infinite)
X   number; "This crock has N bugs, as N goes to infinity".  3. A
X   variable whose value is specified by the current context.  For
X   example, when ordering a meal at a restaurant N may be understood
X   to mean however many people there are at the table.  From the
X   remark "We'd like to order N wonton soups and a family dinner for
X   N-1." you can deduce that one person at the table wants to eat
X   only soup, even though you don't know how many people there are.  A
X   silly riddle: "How many computers does it take to shift the bits
X   in a register?  N+1: N to hold all the bits still, and one to shove
X   the register over." 4. NTH: adj. The ordinal counterpart of N.
X   "Now for the Nth and last time..."  In the specific context
X   "Nth-year grad student", N is generally assumed to be at least 4,
X   and is usually 5 or more.  See also RANDOM NUMBERS, TWO-TO-THE-N.
X
XNAILED TO THE WALL [like a trophy] adj. Said of a bug finally
X   eliminated after protracted and even heroic effort.
X
XNANOACRE /nan'o-ay-kr/ n. An areal init (about 2mm.sq.) of
X   "real-estate" on a VLSI chip.  The term derives its amusement
X   value from the fact that VLSI nanoacres have costs in the same
X   range as real acres once one figures in design and
X   fabrication-setup costs.
X
XNANOBOT /nan'oh-bot/ n. A robot of microscopic proportions, presumably
X   built by means of NANOTECHNOLOGY (q.v.).  As yet, only used
X   informally (and speculatively!). Also sometimes called a
X   `nanoagent'.
X
XNANOCOMPUTER /nan'oh-k at m-pyoo-tr/ n. A computer whose switching
X   elements are molecular in size.  Designs for mechanical
X   nanocomputers which use single-molecule sliding rods for their
X   logic have been proposed.  The controller for a NANOBOT would be a
X   nanocomputer.
X
XNANOTECHNOLOGY /nan'-oh-tek-naw`l at -ji/ n. A hypothetical fabrication
X   technology in which objects are designed and built with the
X   individual specification and placement of each separate atom.  The
X   first unequivocal nano-fabrication experiments are taking place now
X   (1990), for example with the deposition of individual xenon atoms
X   on a nickel substrate to spell the logo of a certain very large
X   computer company by two of its physicists.  Nanotechnology has been
X   a hot topic in the hacker subculture ever since the term was coined
X   by K. Eric Drexler in his book "Engines of Creation", where he
X   predicted that nanotechnology could give rise to replicating
X   assemblers, permitting an exponential growth of productivity and
X   personal wealth.
X
XNASTYGRAM n. 1. A protocol packet or item of email (the latter is also
X   called a `letterbomb') that takes advantage of misfeatures or
X   security holes on the target system to do untoward things. 2.
X   Disapproving mail, esp. from a net.god, pursuant to a violation of
X   NETIQUETTE. Compare SHITOGRAM.  3. (deprecated) An error reply by
X   mail from a DAEMON; in particular, a BOUNCE MESSAGE.
X
XNEOPHILIA /nee-oh-fil'-ee-uh/ n. The trait of being excited and
X   pleased by novelty.  Common trait of most hackers, SF fans, and
X   members of several other connected "leading-edge" subcultures
X   including the pro-technology "Whole-Earth" wing of the ecology
X   movement, space activists, theater people, the membership of MENSA,
X   and the Discordian/neo-pagan underground.  All these groups overlap
X   heavily and (where evidence is available) seem to share
X   characteristic hacker tropisms for SF, MUSIC and ORIENTAL FOOD.
X
XNETHACK /net'hak/ n. See HACK, sense #12.
X
XNETIQUETTE /net'ee-ket, net'i-ket/ n. Conventions of politeness
X   recognized on USENET, such as: avoidance of cross-posting to
X   inappropriate groups, or refraining from commercial pluggery on the
X   net.
X
XNEEP-NEEP /neep neep/ [onomatopoeic, from New York SF fandom] n. One
X   who is fascinated by computers.  More general than HACKER, as it
X   need not imply more skill than is required to boot games on a PC.
X   The gerund NEEP-NEEPING applies specifically to the long
X   conversations about computers that tend to develop in the corners
X   at most SF-convention parties.  Fandom has a related proverb to the
X   effect that "Hacking is a conversational black hole!"
X
XNET. (net dot) [USENET] Prefix used to describe people and events
X   related to USENET.  From the time before the GREAT RENAMING, when
X   when all non-local newsgroups had names beginning "net.".
X   Includes net.god(s) (q.v.), net.goddesses (various charismatic
X   women with circles of on-line admirers), net.lurkers, (see LURKER),
X   net.parties (a synonym for BOINK sense #2 (q.v.)) and many similar
X   constructs.  See also NET.POLICE.
X
XNET.GOD (net god) n. Used to refer to anyone who satisfies some
X   combination of the following conditions: has been visible on USENET
X   for more than five years, ran one of the original backbone sites,
X   moderated an important newsgroup, wrote news software, or knows
X   Gene, Mark, Rick, Henry, Chuq, and Greg personally.  See DEMIGOD.
X
XNET.POLICE n.  Those USENET readers who feel it is their
X   responsibility to pounce on and FLAME any posting which they regard
X   as offensive, or in violation of their understanding of NETIQUETTE.
X   Generally used sarcastically or pejoratively.  Also spelled
X   `net.police'. See also NET., CODE POLICE.
X
XNETWORK ADDRESS n. As used by hackers, means an address on THE NETWORK
X   (almost always a BANG PATH or INTERNET ADDRESS). An essential to be
X   taken seriously by hackers; in particular, persons or organizations
X   claiming to understand, work with, sell to, or recruit from among
X   hackers that *don't* display net addresses are quietly presumed to
X   be clueless poseurs and mentally FLUSHED (sense #3). Hackers often
X   put their net addresses on their business cards and wear them
X   prominently in contexts where they expect to meet other hackers
X   face-to-face (see also SCIENCE-FICTION FANDOM) This is mostly
X   functional, but is also a connotative signal that one identifies
X   with hackerdom (like lodge pins among Masons or tie-died T-shirts
X   among Grateful Dead fans).  Net addresses are often used in email
X   text as a more concise substitute for personal names; indeed,
X   hackers may come to know each other quite well by network names
X   without ever learning each others' `legal' monikers. See also
X   SITENAME.
X
XNETWORK, THE n. 1. The union of all the major academic and
X   noncommercial/hacker-oriented networks such as Internet, the old
X   ARPANET, NSFNet, BITNET and the virtual UUCP and USENET
X   "networks", plus the corporate in-house networks that gate to
X   them.  A site is generally considered `on the network' if it can be
X   reached through some combination of Internet-style (@-sign) and
X   UUCP (bang-path) addresses.  See BANG PATH, INTERNET ADDRESS,
X   NETWORK ADDRESS. 2. A fictional conspiracy of libertarian
X   hacker-subversives and anti-authoritarian monkeywrenchers described
X   in Robert Anton Wilson's novel _Schrodinger's_Cat_, to which many
X   hackers have subsequently decided they belong (this is an example
X   of HA HA, ONLY SERIOUS).
X
XNEW TESTAMENT n. [C programmers] The second edition of K&R's "The C
X   Programming Language", defining ANSI Standard C. See WHITE BOOK.
X
XNEWBIE /n./ [orig. fr. British military & public-school slang] A
X   USENET neophyte.  This term originated in the NEWSGROUP
X   "talk.bizarre" but is now in wide use.  Criteria for being
X   considered a newbie vary wildly; a person can be called a newbie in
X   one newsgroup while remaining a respected participant in another.
X   The label "newbie" is sometimes applied as a serious insult, to a
X   person who has been around USENET for a long time, but who
X   carefully hides all evidence of having a clue.  See BIFF.
X
XNEWGRP WARS /n[y]oo'grp wohrz/ [USENET] n. Salvos of dueling `newgrp'
X   and `rmgroup' messages sometimes exchanged by persons on opposite
X   sides of a dispute over whether a NEWSGROUP should be created
X   netwide.  These usually settle out within a week or two as it
X   becomes clear whether the group has a natural constituency
X   (usually, it doesn't). At times, especially in the completely
X   anarchic `alt' hierarchy, the names of newsgroups themselves become
X   a form of comment or humor; cf. the spinoff of
X   alt.swedish.chef.bork.bork.bork from alt.tv.muppets in early 1990,
X   or any number of specialized abuse groups named after particularly
X   notorious FLAMERs.
X
XNEWLINE /n[y]oo'lien/ n. 1. [UNIX] The ASCII LF character (decimal
X   10), used under UNIX as a text line terminator.  A Bell-Labs-ism
X   rather than a Berkeleyism; interestingly (and unusually for UNIX
X   slang) it is said originally to have been an IBM usage. 2. More
X   generally, any magic character sequence or operation (like Pascal's
X   writeln() function) required to terminate a text record.  See CRLF,
X   TERPRI.
X
XNEWSFROUP /n[y]oos'froop/ [USENET] n. Silly written-only synonym for
X   NEWSGROUP, originated as a typo but now in regular use on USENET'S
X   talk.bizarre and other not-real-tightly-wrapped groups.
X
XNEWSGROUP [USENET] n. One of USENET's large collection of topic
X   groups.  Among the best-known are comp.lang.c (the C-language
X   forum), comp.1.wizards (for UNIX wizards), rec.arts.sf-lovers
X   (for science-fiction fans) and talk.politics.misc (miscellaneous
X   political discussions and FLAMAGE).
X
XNICKLE n. A NYBBLE + 1; 5 bits. Reported among developers for Mattel's
X   GI 1600 (the Intellivision games processor), a chip with
X   16-bit-wide RAM but 10-bit-wide ROM.  See also DECLE.
X
XNIGHT MODE n. See PHASE (of people).
X
XNIL [from LISP terminology for "false"] No.  Usage: used in reply to
X   a question, particularly one asked using the "-P" convention.
X   See T.
X
XNMI n. Non-Maskable Interrupt. See PRIORITY INTERRUPT.
X
XNON-OPTIMAL (or SUB-OPTIMAL) SOLUTION n. An astoundingly stupid way to
X   do something.  This term is generally used in deadpan sarcasm, as
X   its impact is greatest when the person speaking looks completely
X   serious.  Compare STUNNING. See also BAD THING.
X
XNONTRIVIAL adj. Requiring real thought or significant computing power.
X   Often used as an understated way of saying that a problem is quite
X   difficult.  See TRIVIAL, UNINTERESTING, INTERESTING. 
X
XNO-OP /noh-op/ alt. NOP (nop) [no operation] n. 1. A machine
X   instruction that does nothing (sometimes used in assembler-level
X   programming as filler for data areas).  2. A person who contributes
X   nothing to a project, or has nothing going on upstairs, or both.
X   As in "he's a no-op.". 3. Any operation or sequence of operations
X   with no effect, such as circling the block without finding a
X   parking space, or putting money into a vending machine and having
X   it fall immediately into the coin-return box, or asking someone for
X   help and being told to go away.  "Oh well, that was a no-op."
X
XNP-* /en pee/ pref.  Extremely.  Used to modify adjectives describing a
X   level or quality of difficulty.  "Getting this algorithm to
X   perform correctly in every case is NP-annoying."  This is
X   generalized from the computer science terms "NP-hard" and
X   "NP-easy".  NP is the set of Nondeterministic-Polynomial
X   algorithms, those which can be completed by a nondeterministic
X   finite state machine in an amount of time that is a polynomial
X   function of the size of the input.
X
XNUKE v. 1. To intentionally delete the entire contents of a given
X   directory or storage volume. "On UNIX, rm -r /usr will nuke
X   everything in the usr filesystem." Never used for accidental
X   deletion.  Oppose BLOW AWAY. 2. Syn. for DIKE, applied to smaller
X   things such as files, features or code sections. 3. Used of
X   processes as well as files; frequently an alias for "kill -9" on
X   UNIX.
X
XNULL DEVICE n. A LOGICAL input/output device connected to the BIT
X   BUCKET; when you write to it nothing happens, when you reaad from
X   it you get a zero-length record full of nothing.  Useful for
X   discarding unwanted output or using interactive programs in a
X   non-interactive way.  See /DEV/NULL.
X
XNUXI PROBLEM, THE /nuk'see pro'blm, dh@/ n. This refers to the problem
X   of transferring data between machines with differing byte-order.
X   The string "UNIX" might look like "NUXI" on a machine with a
X   different "byte sex" (i.e. when transferring data from a
X   little-endian to a big endian or vice-versa). See also, BIG-ENDIAN,
X   LITTLE-ENDIAN, SWAB, and BYTESEXUAL.
X
XNYBBLE /nib'l/ [from v. `nibble' by analogy with `bite' -> `byte'] n.
X   Four bits; one hexadecimal digit; a half-byte. Though `byte' is now
X   accepted technical jargon found in dictionaries, this useful
X   relative is still slang. Compare CRUMB, see also BIT.
X
X                                {= O =}
X
XOB /ob/ pref. Obligatory.  A piece of NETIQUETTE that acknowledges the
X   author has been straying from the newsgroup's charter.  For
X   example, if a posting in alt.sex has nothing particularly to do
X   with sex, the author may append "ObSex" (or "Obsex") and toss
X   off a question or vignette about some unusual erotic act.
X
XOBSCURE adj. Used in an exaggeration of its normal meaning, to imply a
X   total lack of comprehensibility.  "The reason for that last crash
X   is obscure."  "The find(1) command's syntax is obscure."
X   MODERATELY OBSCURE implies that it could be figured out but
X   probably isn't worth the trouble.  OBSCURE IN THE EXTREME is a
X   preferred emphatic form.
X
XOBFUSCATED C CONTEST n. Annual contest run since 1984 over THE NETWORK
X   by Landon Curt Noll & friends.  The overall winner is he who
X   produces the most unreadable, creative and bizarre working C
X   program; various other prizes are awarded at the judges' whim.
X   Given C's terse syntax and macro-preprocessor facilities, this
X   gives contestants a lot of maneuvering room.  The winning programs
X   often manage to be simultaneously a) funny, b) breathtaking works
X   of art, and c) Horrible Examples of how *not* to code in C.
X
X   This relatively short and sweet entry might help convey the flavor
X   of obfuscated C:
X
X   
X
X   main(v,c)char**c;{for(v[c++]="Hello, world!\n)";(!!c)[*c]&&
X   (v--||--c&&execlp(*c,*c,c[!!c]+!!c,!c));**c=!c)write(!!*c,*c,
X   !!**c);}
X
XOCTAL FORTY /ok'tl for'tee/ n. Hackish way of saying "I'm drawing a
X   blank" (octal 40 is the ASCII space character). See WALL.
X
XOFF-BY-ONE ERROR n. Exceedingly common error induced in many ways,
X   such as by starting at 0 when you should have started at 1 or vice
X   versa, or by writing < N instead of <= N or vice-versa.  Also
X   applied to giving an object to the person next to the one who
X   should have gotten it.  Often confused with FENCEPOST ERROR, which
X   is properly a particular subtype of it.
X
XOFF THE TROLLEY adj.  Describes the behavior of a program which
X   malfunctions but doesn't actually CRASH or get halted by the
X   operating system.  See GLITCH, BUG, DEEP SPACE.
X
XOFFLINE adv.  Not now or not here.  Example: "Let's take this
X   discussion offline."  Specifically used on USENET to suggest that
X   a discussion be taken off a public newsgroup to email.
X
XOLD FART n. Tribal elder. A title self-assumed with remarkable
X   frequency by (esp.) USENETters who have been programming for more
X   than about twenty five years; frequently appears in SIGs attached
X   to jargon file contributions of great archeological significance.
X   This is a term of insult in second or third person but pride in
X   first person.
X
XOLD TESTAMENT n. [C programmers] The first edition of the book
X   describing CLASSIC C; see WHITE BOOK.
X
XONE BELL SYSTEM (IT WORKS) This was the output from the old Unix V6
X   "1" command.  The "1" command also contained a random number
X   generator which gave it a one in ten chance of recursively
X   executing itself.
X
XONE-LINER WARS n. Popular game among hackers who code in the language
X   APL (see WRITE-ONLY LANGUAGE). The objective is to see who can code
X   the most interesting and/or useful routine in one line of operators
X   chosen from APL's exceedingly HAIRY primitive set. [This is not
X   *quite* as silly as it sounds; I myself have coded one-line LIFE
X   (q.v.) programs and once uttered a one-liner that performed lexical
X   analysis of its input string followed by a dictionary lookup for
X   good measure --- ESR]
X
XOOBLICK /oo'blik/ [from Dr. Seuss' "Bartholomew and the Ooblick"] n.
X   A bizarre semi-liquid sludge made from cornstarch and water.
X   Enjoyed among hackers who make batches for playtime at parties for
X   its amusing and extremely non-Newtonian behavior; it pours and
X   splatters, but resists rapid motion like a solid and will even
X   crack when hit by a hammer.  Often found near lasers.
X
XOPEN n. Abbreviation for "open (or left) parenthesis", used when
X   necessary to eliminate oral ambiguity.  To read aloud the LISP form
X   (DEFUN FOO (X) (PLUS X 1)) one might say: "Open def-fun foo, open
X   eks close, open, plus ekx one, close close."  See CLOSE.
X
XOPEN SWITCH [IBM] n. An unresolved issue.
X
XOPERATING SYSTEM n. (Often abbreviated "OS") The foundation software
X   of a machine, of course; that which schedules tasks, allocates
X   storage, and presents a default interface to the user between
X   applications.  The facilities the operating system provides and its
X   general design philosophy exert an extremely strong influence on
X   programming style and the technical culture that grows up around a
X   machine.  Hacker folklore has been shaped primarily by the UNIX,
X   ITS, TOPS-10, TOPS-20/TWENEX, VMS, CP/M, MS-DOS, and MULTICS
X   operating systems (most importantly by ITS and UNIX). Each of these
X   has its own entry, which see.
X
XORANGE BOOK, THE n. The U.S. Government's standards document (Trusted
X   Computer System Evaluation Criteria, DOD standard 5200.28-STD,
X   December, 1985) characterizing secure computing architectures,
X   defining levels A1 (most secure) through C3 (least).  Stock UNIXes
X   are roughly C2.  See also RED BOOK, BLUE BOOK, GREEN BOOK, SILVER
X   BOOK, PURPLE BOOK, WHITE BOOK, PINK-SHIRT BOOK, DRAGON BOOK.
X
XORIENTAL FOOD n. Hackers display an intense tropism towards Oriental
X   cuisine, especially Chinese, and especially of the spicier
X   varieties such as Szechuan and Hunan.  This phenomenon (which has
X   also been observed in subcultures which overlap heavily with
X   hackerdom, most notably science-fiction fandom) has never been
X   satisfactorily explained, but is sufficiently intense that one can
X   assume the target of a hackish dinner expedition to be the best
X   local Chinese place and be right at least 3 times out of 4. See
X   also RAVS, GREAT-WALL, STIR-FRIED RANDOM. Thai, Indian, Korean and
X   Vietnamese cuisines are also quite popular.
X
XORPHAN [UNIX] n. A process whose parent has died; one inherited by
X   init(1). Compare ZOMBIE.
X
XORTHOGONAL [from mathematics] adj. Mutually independent;
X   well-separated; sometimes, irrelevant to.  Used in a generalization
X   of its mathematical meaning to describe sets of primitives or
X   capabilities which, like a vector basis in geometry, span the
X   entire `capability space' of the system and are in some sense
X   non-overlapping or mutually independent.  For example, in
X   architectures such as the MC68000 where all or nearly all registers
X   can be used interchangeably in any role with respect to any
X   instruction, the register set is said to be orthogonal.  Or, in
X   logic, the set of operators `not' and `or' is orthogonal, but the
X   set `nand', `or' and `not' is not (because any one of these can
X   be expressed in terms of the other two via De Morgan's Laws). Also
X   used in comment on human discourse; "This may be orthogonal to the
X   discussion, but...".
X
XOS /oh ess/ 1. [Operating System] n. Acronym heavily used in email,
X   occasionally in speech. 2. obs. n. On ITS, an output spy.  See
X   Appendix B.
X
XOS/2 (oh ess too) n. The anointed successor to MS-DOS for Intel-286
X   and (allegedly) 386-based micros; proof that IBM/Microsoft couldn't
X   get it right the second time, either.  Cited here because
X   mentioning it is always good for a cheap laugh among hackers --- the
X   design was so bad that three years after introduction you could
X   still count the major APPs shipping for it on the fingers of two
X   hands.  Often called "Half-an-OS". See VAPORWARE, MONSTROSITY,
X   CRETINOUS, SECOND-SYSTEM EFFECT.
X
XOVERRUN SCREW [C programming] n. A variety of FANDANGO ON CORE
X   produced by scribbling past the end of an array (C has no checks
X   for this).  This is relatively benign and easy to spot if the array
X   is static; if it is auto, the result may be to SMASH THE STACK. The
X   term OVERRUN SCREW is used esp. of scribbles beyond the end of
X   arrays allocated with malloc(3); this typically trashes the
X   allocation header for the next block in the ARENA, producing
X   massive lossage within malloc and (frequently) a core dump on the
X   next operation to use stdio or malloc(3) itself.  See also MEMORY
X   LEAK, ALIASING BUG, PRECEDENCE LOSSAGE, FANDANGO ON CORE.
X
X                                {= P =}
X
XPAGE IN [MIT] v. To become aware of one's surroundings again after
X   having paged out (see PAGE OUT).  Usually confined to the sarcastic
X   comment, "So-and-so pages in.  Film at 11." See FILM AT 11.
X
XPAGE OUT [MIT] v. To become unaware of one's surroundings temporarily,
X   due to daydreaming or preoccupation.  "Can you repeat that?  I
X   paged out for a minute."  See PAGE IN. Compare GLITCH, THINKO.
X
XPANIC [UNIX] v. An action taken by a process or the entire operating
X   system when an unrecoverable error is discovered.  The action
X   usually consists of: (1) displaying localized information on the
X   controlling terminal, (2) saving, or preparing for saving, a memory
X   image of the process or operating system, and (3) terminating the
X   process or rebooting the system.
X
XPARAM /p at -ram'/ n. Speeech-only shorthand for "parameter". Compare
X   ARG, VAR. The plural `params' is often further compressed to
X   `parms'.
X
XPARITY ERRORS pl.n. Those little lapses of attention or (in more
X   severe cases) consciousness, usually brought on by having spent all
X   night and most of the next day hacking.  "I need to go home and
X   crash; I'm starting to get a lot of parity errors." Derives from a
X   relatively common but nearly always correctable transient error in
X   RAM hardware.
X
XPARSE [from linguistic terminology via AI research] v. 1. To determine
X   the syntactic structure of a sentence or other utterance (close to
X   the standard English meaning).  Example: "That was the one I saw
X   you."  "I can't parse that."  2. More generally, to understand
X   or comprehend.  "It's very simple; you just kretch the glims and
X   then aos the zotz."  "I can't parse that."  3. Of fish, to have
X   to remove the bones yourself (usually at a Chinese restaurant).
X   "I object to parsing fish" means "I don't want to get a whole
X   fish, but a sliced one is okay."  A "parsed fish" has been
X   deboned.  There is some controversy over whether "unparsed"
X   should mean "bony", or also mean "deboned".
X
XPATCH 1. n. A temporary addition to a piece of code, usually as a
X   quick-and-dirty remedy to an existing bug or misfeature.  A patch
X   may or may not work, and may or may not eventually be incorporated
X   permanently into the program.  2. v. To insert a patch into a piece
X   of code. 3. [in the UNIX world] n. a set of differences between two
X   versions of source code, generated with diff(1) and intended to be
X   mechanically applied using patch(1); often used as a way of
X   distributing source code upgrades and fixes over USENET.
X
XPBD [abbrev of `Programmer Brain Damage'] n. Applied to bug reports
X   revealing places where the program was obviously broken due to an
X   incompetent or short-cited programmer. Compare UBD; see also
X   BRAIN-DAMAGED.
X
XPC-ISM n. A piece of code or coding technique that takes advantage of
X   the unprotected single-tasking environment in IBM PCs and the like.
X   e.g. by busy-waiting on a hardware register, direct diddling of
X   screen memory, or using hard timing loops. Compare ILL-BEHAVED,
X   VAXISM, UNIXISM. Also, PC-WARE n., a program full of PC-ISMs on a
X   machine with a more capable operating system. Pejorative.
X
XPD /pee-dee/ adj. Common abbreviation for "public domain", applied
X   to software distributed over USENET and from Internet archive
X   sites.  Much of this software is not in fact "public domain" in
X   the legal sense but travels under various copyrights granting
X   reproduction and use rights to anyone who can SNARF a copy.  See
X   COPYLEFT.
X
XPDL /pid'l/ or /pud'l/ [acronym for Push Down List] n. 1. A LIFO queue
X   or stack; more loosely, any priority queue; even more loosely, any
X   queue.  A person's pdl is the set of things he has to do in the
X   future.  One speaks of the next project to be attacked as having
X   risen to the top of the pdl.  "I'm afraid I've got real work to
X   do, so this'll have to be pushed way down on my pdl."  "I haven't
X   done it yet because every time I pop my pdl something new gets
X   pushed."  If you are interrupted several times in the middle of a
X   conversation, "my pdl overflowed" means "I forget what we were
X   talking about" (the implication is that too many items were pushed
X   onto the pdl than could be remembered, and so the least recent
X   items were lost).  All these usages are also frequently found with
X   STACK (q.v) itself as the subject noun.  See PUSH and POP.  2. Dave
X   Lebling, one of the coauthors of ZORK (q.v.); (his NETWORK ADDRESS
X   on the ITS machines was at one time pdl at dms).
X
XPDP-10 [Programmable Data Processor model 10] n. The machine that made
X   timesharing real.  Looms large in hacker folklore due to early
X   adoption in the mid-70s by many university computing facilities and
X   research labs including the MIT AI lab, Stanford and CMU. Some
X   aspects of the instruction set (most notably the bit-field
X   instructions) are still considered unsurpassed.  Later editions
X   were labelled `DECsystem-10' as a way of differentiating them from
X   the PDP-11.  The '10 was eventually eclipsed by the PDP-11 and VAX
X   machines and dropped from DEC's line in the early '80s, and in 1990
X   to have cut one's teeth on one is considered something of a badge
X   of honorable old-timerhood among hackers.  See TOPS-10, ITS,
X   Appendix B.
X
XPERCENT-S /per-sent' ess/ [From "%s", the formatting sequence in C's
X   printf(3) library function used to indicate that an arbitrary
X   string may be inserted] n. An unspecified person or object.  "I
X   was just talking to some percent-s in administration." Compare
X   RANDOM.
X
XPERF /perf/ n. See CHAD (sense #1).
X
SHAR_EOF
chmod 0644 jsplit.af || echo "restore of jsplit.af fails"
if [ $TOUCH = can ]
then
    touch -am 1215215290 jsplit.af
fi
exit 0