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From: jay@splut.UUCP (Jay Maynard)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: Size of SysV "block" (really: byte != 8 bits)
Message-ID: <15@splut.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 29-Jul-87 19:21:12 EDT
Article-I.D.: splut.15
Posted: Wed Jul 29 19:21:12 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 2-Aug-87 10:50:35 EDT
References: <218@astra.necisa.oz> <142700010@tiger.UUCP> <2792@phri.UUCP> <1625@xanth.UUCP>
Organization: Confederate Microsystems, League City, Texas
Lines: 21
Keywords: 12 bits is a ... (see punch line!)
Summary: Right joke, wrong number.

In article <1625@xanth.UUCP>, kent@xanth.UUCP (Kent Paul Dolan) writes:
> In article <524@ollie.UUCP> hansen@mips.UUCP (Craig Hansen) writes:
> >Has anyone seen a good name used for three 8-bit bytes? I've been using
> >"tri-byte", but could see it being shortened to "trite" or "tryte."
> 
> It would give me a warm, fuzzy feeling forever after, if a three byte block
> of bits were to be know henceforth as a "tribble".     ;-)

Right idea, Kent...but you picked the wrong number of bits.

Since 4 bits is a "nibble" (half of a byte), why not make 12 bits a
"tribble" (three nibbles)?

Besides, it gives PDP-8ers and other strange types something to call a
machine word.

-- 
>splut!<...Jay Maynard, K5ZC | uucp: ...!seismo!soma!uhnix1!sugar!splut!jay
"Don't ask ME about Unix...  | GEnie: JAYMAYNARD            (...e-i-e-i-o!)
I speak SNA!"                | CI$: 71036,1603   FidoNet: SysOp @106/64
The opinions herein are shared by neither of my cats, much less anyone else.