quux

/kwuhks/ , n. [Mythically, from the Latin semi-deponent verb quuxo, quuxare,
quuxandum iri; noun form variously quux (plural quuces , anglicized to
quuxes ) and quuxu (genitive plural is quuxuum , for four u-letters out of
seven in all, using up all the u letters in Scrabble).] 1. Originally, a
metasyntactic variable like foo and foobar. Invented by Guy Steele for
precisely this purpose when he was young and naive and not yet interacting
with the real computing community. Many people invent such words; this one
seems simply to have been lucky enough to have spread a little. In an
eloquent display of poetic justice, it has returned to the originator in the
form of a nickname. 2. interj. See foo ; however, denotes very little
disgust, and is uttered mostly for the sake of the sound of it. 3. Guy
Steele in his persona as The Great Quux , which is somewhat infamous for
light verse and for the Crunchly cartoons. 4. In some circles, used as a
punning opposite of crux. Ah, that's the quux of the matter! implies that
the point is not crucial (compare tip of the ice-cube ). 5. quuxy: adj. Of
or pertaining to a quux.

