Path: utzoo!utgpu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!bu.edu!bbn.com!cosell
From: cosell@bbn.com (Bernie Cosell)
Newsgroups: alt.sources.d
Subject: Re: Okay, I give up. What is the real story?
Keywords: xyzzy
Message-ID: <60947@bbn.BBN.COM>
Date: 18 Nov 90 14:33:55 GMT
References: <1990Nov16.060233.4305@nntp-server.caltech.edu> <980@demott.COM>
Sender: news@bbn.com
Lines: 17

kdq@demott.COM (Kevin D. Quitt) writes:

}In article <1990Nov16.060233.4305@nntp-server.caltech.edu> terry@wag.caltech.edu (Terry R. Coley) writes:
}>On the route to Las Vegas from LA on Interstate 15 one passes
}>a road in the middle of the desert named "xyzzy" (or was it actually 
}>"xyzzx"?).  Anyone know which came first - the Adventure magic
}>word or the road sign?  More importantly, one wonders where xyzzy road
}>leads...

}    Actually, it's Zzyzx, what was supposedly (according to the guy who
}made it up) oatented as the last word in the English language.  From
}this fame this person (a developer), built a small sommunity by that name.

And, just to close the loop, "xyzzy" was just made up out of whole cloth in
Adventure.  Any attempts at divining its etymology are futile.

  /Bernie\