14 lines
850 B
Plaintext
14 lines
850 B
Plaintext
BLINKENLIGHTS (blink'@n-lietz) n. Front-panel diagnostic lights on a
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mainframe CPU. Derives from the last word of the famous
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blackletter-Gothic ``ACHTUNG! ALLES LOOKENSPEEPERS!'' notice in
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mangled pseudo-German that once graced about half the computer
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rooms in the English-speaking world. The following text ran: ``Das
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computermachine ist nicht fur gefingerpoken und mittengrabben. Ist
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easy schnappen der springenwerk, blowenfusen und poppencorken mit
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spitzensparken. Ist nicht fur gewerken bei das dumpkopfen. Das
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rubbernecken sichtseeren keepen hans in das pockets muss; relaxen
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und watch das blinkenlichten.'' This silliness dates back at least
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as far as the London University ATLAS site in the 1960s, but
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(judging by the idioms) was probably composed by an American at
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some still-earlier date.
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