[237] in Vegetarian_Support_Group
Re: anybody know MIT hackerspeak? :)
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Richard J. Barbalace)
Mon Nov 7 17:12:42 1994
To: jrm6@MIDWAY.UCHICAGO.EDU, elsiedee@MIT.EDU
Cc: vsg@MIT.EDU
Cc: VEGAN-L%TEMPLEVM.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu
In-Reply-To: Your message of Mon, 07 Nov 94 13:34:34 -0500.
<9411071834.AA09092@m66-080-9.MIT.EDU>
Date: Mon, 07 Nov 94 17:10:46 EST
From: Richard J. Barbalace <rjbarbal@MIT.EDU>
Yikes, somebody is confused!
Calling someone a "frob" would be quite insulting.
......................................................................
From the Hacker's Jargon File:
FROB
/frob/ 1. n. [MIT] The TMRC definition was "FROB = a protruding arm or
trunnion"; by metaphoric extension, a `frob' is any random small thing; an
object that you can comfortably hold in one hand; something you can frob
(sense 2). See frobnitz
2. vt. Abbreviated form of frobnicate
......................................................................
FROBNICATE
/frob'ni-kayt/ vt. [Poss. derived from frobnitz, and usually
abbreviated to frob, but `frobnicate' is recognized as the official
full form.] To manipulate or adjust, to tweak. One frequently frobs
bits or other 2-state devices. Thus: "Please frob the light switch"
(that is, flip it), but also "Stop frobbing that clasp; you'll break
it". One also sees the construction `to frob a frob'. See tweak and
twiddle.
Usage: frob, twiddle, and tweak sometimes connote points along a
continuum. `Frob' connotes aimless manipulation; `twiddle' connotes
gross manipulation, often a coarse search for a proper setting;
`tweak' connotes fine-tuning. If someone is turning a knob on an
oscilloscope, then if he's carefully adjusting it, he is probably
tweaking it; if he is just turning it but looking at the screen, he is
probably twiddling it; but if he's just doing it because turning a
knob is fun, he's frobbing it. The variant `frobnosticate' has been
recently reported.
......................................................................
Calling someone a "frob" means that he or she is
1) a bungling idiot who frobs (messes) with things without having
any clue as to what they are doing; or,
2) being used as a frob (toy) by their obviously-not-so-Significant Other.
Calling someone an "ecofrob" would probably mean they are someone
who carelessly mucks up the environment, quite the opposite of what
you mean.
I have no idea where you got that bit about "MIT hackerspeak" from....
+ Richard
> ------- Forwarded Message
> From: jennifer robin moran <jrm6@MIDWAY.UCHICAGO.EDU>
> Subject: ecofrob
> To: Multiple recipients of list VEGAN-L <VEGAN-L%TEMPLEVM.BITNET@mitvma.mit.e
du>
> i've been asked to give the etimology of a word i use all the time: ecofrob.
> the eco is obvious. (short for ecology and related words).
> "frob" is MIT hackerspeak for person or dude. in particular, it can
> be an especially good dude, mensch, etc.
> so an ecofrob is a dutiful environmentalist. bill and i often shorten
> this to frob. for instance, when one of us picks up some litter on
> the beach, the other is likely to say, "aw, you're such a good little
> frob!" :)
> i suspect that many vegans are ecofrobs.
> be well.
> jennifer robin.
> (jrm6@midway.uchicago.edu)
> ------- End of Forwarded Message
