Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!haven!udel!burdvax!lang
From: lang@PRC.Unisys.COM (Francois-Michel Lang)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: what is 'frobbed'?
Message-ID: <11400@burdvax.PRC.Unisys.COM>
Date: 8 Sep 89 12:48:19 GMT
References: <925@manta.NOSC.MIL>
Sender: news@PRC.Unisys.COM
Distribution: usa
Organization: Unisys Corporation, Paoli Research Center; Paoli, PA
Lines: 39

In article <925@manta.NOSC.MIL> psm@manta.nosc.mil (Scot Mcintosh) writes:
>In looking at some unix source code, I've encountered several uses of
>the word 'frobbed'.  From the context, it appears that it means
>'manipulated in some unspecified way'.  Is this an accurate
>interpretation, or is there another meaning?  Is this even a
>unix-domain word, or just some neologism generated by a bored
>programmer?

From the hacker's dictionary:

FROB 1. n. (MIT) The official Tech Model Railroad Club definition is
   "FROB = protruding arm or trunnion", and by metaphoric extension
   any somewhat small thing.  See FROBNITZ.  2. v. Abbreviated form of
   FROBNICATE.

FROBNICATE v. To manipulate or adjust, to tweak.  Derived from
   FROBNITZ (q.v.).  Usually abbreviated to FROB.  Thus one has the
   saying "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.

FROBNITZ, pl. FROBNITZEM (frob'nitsm) n. An unspecified physical
   object, a widget.  Also refers to electronic black boxes.  This
   rare form is usually abbreviated to FROTZ, or more commonly to
   FROB.  Also used are FROBNULE, FROBULE, and FROBNODULE.  Starting
   perhaps in 1979, FROBBOZ (fruh-bahz'), pl. FROBBOTZIM, has also
   become very popular, largely due to its exposure via the Adventure
   spin-off called Zork (Dungeon).  These can also be applied to
   non-physical objects, such as data structures.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Francois-Michel Lang
Paoli Research Center, Unisys         lang@prc.unisys.com      (215) 648-7256
Dept of Comp & Info Science, U of PA  lang@linc.cis.upenn.edu  (215) 898-9511