Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!brachiosaur.cis.ohio-state.edu!lum
From: lum@brachiosaur.cis.ohio-state.edu (Lum Johnson)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.lisp
Subject: Re: Why ``Flavors'' ?
Message-ID: <11616@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu>
Date: 26 Apr 88 16:41:15 GMT
References: <442@crin.crin.fr> <18399@watmath.waterloo.edu>
Sender: news@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu
Organization: The Ohio State University, IRCC/CIS Computing Laboratory
Lines: 39
Summary: See the JARGON document

There is an old document on most major ARPANET hosts (as well as on
OSU-20.IRCC.CIS.OHIO-STATE.EDU) which defines such jargon.  On our
system you can find it in DOC:JARGON.DOC and info-ized for Emacs in
INFO:JARGON.INFO.  Here is part of the preface from that file; much of
the detail is probably out of date (since 14-Nov-82!)  Does anyone
know how to bring it up-to-date?

> This file is maintained at three locations.   It is  AIWORD.RF[UP,DOC]
> at SAIL, and GLS;JARGON >  at MIT-MC and at MIT-AI.  ...
>
> If you'd rather not mung the file yourself, send your definitions to
> DON @ SAIL, GLS @ MIT-AI, and/or MRC @ SAIL.
>
> The last edit (of this line, anyway) was by Don Woods, 82-11-14.

At any rate, here are the definitions most relevant to this question:

FLAVOR n. 1. Variety, type, kind.  "DDT commands come in two flavors."
   See VANILLA.  2. The attribute of causing something to be
   FLAVORFUL.  "This convention yields additional flavor by allowing
   one to..."  3. On the LispMachine, an object-oriented programming
   system ("flavors"); each class of object is a flavor.

FLAVORFUL adj. Aesthetically pleasing.  See RANDOM and LOSING for
   antonyms.  See also the entry for TASTE.

TASTE n. (primarily MIT-DMS) The quality in programs which tends to be
   inversely proportional to the number of features, hacks, and kluges
   programmed into it.  Also, TASTY, TASTEFUL, TASTEFULNESS.  "This
   feature comes in N tasty flavors."  Although TASTEFUL and FLAVORFUL
   are essentially synonyms, TASTE and FLAVOR are not.

VANILLA adj. Ordinary flavor, standard.  See FLAVOR.  When used of
   food, very often does not mean that the food is flavored with
   vanilla extract!  For example, "vanilla-flavored wonton soup" (or
   simply "vanilla wonton soup") means ordinary wonton soup, as
   opposed to hot and sour wonton soup.
-=-
Lum Johnson    lum@osu-20.ircc.ohio-state.edu    lum@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu
"You got it kid -- the large print giveth and the small print taketh away."