fnord

Part of the TechTarget Network of Enterprise IT Web Sites
Home Look It Up ITKnowledge Exchange Fast References Products White Papers Blogs

Search our IT-specific encyclopedia for:
 
OR Jump to a topic:
 
Advanced Search
Browse alphabetically:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z #
All Categories Computing Fundamentals

fnord

Certain words are intended to be undefinable and "fnord" is one of them. First used in Robert Anton Wilson' trilogy, The Illuminati Papers , fnord has developed a group of devotees that meet at certain pages in cyberspace to celebrate the word's sense of the apparent but indefinite. The editors of whatis.com have spent far too much chasing the meaning of this elusive term, and this is what we are left with:

  • Fnord is the space between the pixels on your screen.
  • Fnord is the "ooo" in varooom of race cars.
  • Fnord is the smallest number greater than zero.
  • Fnord keeps a spare eyebrow in his pocket.

In Wilson's trilogy, (based on reports from users), truth is revealed to those who know where to look. The enlightened can see fnord in the empty spaces between unjustified columns of text in newspapers and magazines. Called sticky spots, these spaces are not really blank, but contain fnord, visible only to those privy to heavily guarded secrets and occult powers. Fans of the novel began using the word as a private joke and the concept spread to many who had never read the book but had no trouble discovering new places where fnord must clearly exist.



This word suggested by: Alex Shnitman
Last updated on: Apr 05, 2005

Are you a Know-IT-All?
What operating system will soon have comedian Jerry Seinfeld as its spokesman?
Answer

WORD OF THE DAY...
softcooling
LEARN MORE ABOUT...
Managing SharePoint services
Buzzword Alert: Mechanical Turk
Our Favorite Cheat Sheets
Our Latest Discovery
57 technology-specific sites
WhatIs.com RSS Feeds
Home Look It Up ITKnowledge Exchange Fast References Products White Papers Blogs
About Us   |   Contact Us   |   For Advertisers   |   For Business Partners   |   Reprints   |   RSS   |   Awards
TechTarget provides enterprise IT professionals with the information they need to perform their jobs - from developing strategy, to making cost-effective IT purchase decisions and managing their organizations' IT projects - with its network of technology-specific Web sites, events and magazines.

TechTarget Corporate Web Site  |  Media Kits  |  Reprints  |  Site Map




All Rights Reserved, Copyright 2008, TechTarget | Read our Privacy Policy
  TechTarget - The IT Media ROI Experts