Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site rochester.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!rochester!stuart From: stuart@rochester.UUCP (Stuart Friedberg) Newsgroups: net.nlang Subject: Re: Kludge and dictionaries Message-ID: <7075@rochester.UUCP> Date: Wed, 6-Mar-85 21:30:08 EST Article-I.D.: rocheste.7075 Posted: Wed Mar 6 21:30:08 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 9-Mar-85 20:15:18 EST References: <906@ratex.UUCP> <220@vaxwaller.UUCP> <2314@mit-hermes.ARPA> Organization: U. of Rochester, CS Dept. Lines: 25 > I have heard the suggestion that "kludge" derives from the name of the Kluge > printing machinery company, whose products (at least one of which is in > student hands here at MIT) are of fearsome complexity. > John Purbrick If anyone is following this up and getting back to the Webster dictionary editors, "kludge" ("kluge") was a common term at least as early as World War II. I have a couple of "I Was There" cartoon books by Bob Stevens. In one of them he gives an illustrated vocabulary of wartime jargon. Kludge is one of the entries. I don't recall the description he gave for it, but the essence was of a Rube Goldberg- style affair whose sole virtue was the fact that it got the job done, typically thrown together out of odds and ends and whatever happened to fit and horrifying to the eyes of a technical inspector. Obviously "kludge" has been taken to heart by the modern computer community, but I have no difficulty seeing where we might have gotten it from mechanics and technical Mr. Fix-It's of 20 - 30 years ago. I'm surprised that Webster's didn't already have it, from this background. And, of course, the origin given by John Purbrick is probably completely compatible with the "war story", although it would require that the Kluge printing machinery company have produced such monsters before (say) 1945. Stu Friedberg {seismo, allegra}!rochester!stuart stuart@rochester