The Computer Contradictionary: Difference between revisions
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Latest revision as of 02:16, 13 January 2026
Template:Short descriptionScript error: No such module "Infobox".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Template:Wikidata image The Computer Contradictionary is a non-fiction book by Stan Kelly-Bootle that compiles a satirical list of definitions of computer industry terms. It is an example of "cynical lexicography" in the tradition of Ambrose Bierce's The Devil's Dictionary.[1] Rather than offering a factual account of usage, its definitions are largely made up by the author.[2]
The book was published in May 1995 by MIT Press and is an update of Kelly-Bootle's The Devil's DP Dictionary which appeared in 1981.[3]
Examples
- Endless loop. See: Loop, endless
- Loop, endless. See: Endless loop
- Recursion. See: Recursion
Reception
The Los Angeles Times, which praised the book, wrote that it was "smartly-titled" but was an "awfully stupid book".[4] ACM Computing Reviews recommended dipping into it because "a dictionary is a difficult read".[3]
References
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