Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!rutgers!mit-eddie!bu-cs!bzs From: bzs@bu-cs.BU.EDU (Barry Shein) Newsgroups: comp.lang.modula2,comp.unix.questions,comp.unix.wizards Subject: Etymology of "grep" Message-ID: <3334@bu-cs.BU.EDU> Date: Fri, 9-Jan-87 19:08:27 EST Article-I.D.: bu-cs.3334 Posted: Fri Jan 9 19:08:27 1987 Date-Received: Sat, 10-Jan-87 02:10:08 EST Organization: Boston U. Comp. Sci. Lines: 14 Xref: mnetor comp.lang.modula2:81 comp.unix.questions:585 comp.unix.wizards:552 >We've all heard the story that grep gets its name from the command in old >Unix "ed": g/r.e./p where r.e. stands for regular expression. Although >this may be true, it is hard to believe that it is the whole truth. > >"Grep" is also named for "greps" the Yiddish word for "belch." > >--- David Phillip Oster -- "We live in a Global Village." "Miss Grep" was the name of a character played by Carole Burnett in a Twilight Zone episode (the one where Jesse White plays an angel.) I don't remember much else, but ya never know... -Barry Shein, Boston University