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From: rubin@columbia.UUCP (Mike Rubin)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: Kludge and dictionaries
Message-ID: <151@columbia.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 7-Mar-85 01:28:42 EST
Article-I.D.: columbia.151
Posted: Thu Mar  7 01:28:42 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 10-Mar-85 06:43:28 EST
References: <906@ratex.UUCP> <220@vaxwaller.UUCP> <2314@mit-hermes.ARPA>
Organization: Columbia University
Lines: 21

> Note that Steven Levy, in "Hackers", spells it "kluge", but he probably
> collected his material orally and therefore had no way to check the spelling.

Steven Levy probably got it from the "jargon file" maintained at various
places on the Arpanet, a version of which was published last year as (I think)
/The Hacker's Dictionary/ by Guy Steele.

Excerpts follow:

This file is maintained at three locations.   It is  AIWORD.RF[UP,DOC]
at SAIL, and GLS;JARGON >  at MIT-MC and at MIT-AI.

KLUGE (kloodj) alt. KLUDGE [from the German "kluge", clever] n. 1. A
   Rube Goldberg device in hardware or software.  2. A clever
   programming trick intended to solve a particular nasty case in an
   efficient, if not clear, manner.  Often used to repair bugs.  Often
   verges on being a crock.  3. Something that works for the wrong
   reason.  4. v. To insert a kluge into a program.  "I've kluged this
   routine to get around that weird bug, but there's probably a better
   way."  Also KLUGE UP.  5. KLUGE AROUND: To avoid by inserting a
   kluge.  6. (WPI) A feature which is implemented in a RUDE manner.