2014-04-26 10:52:28 -04:00
|
|
|
EOU
|
|
|
|
|
|
2014-04-26 11:54:15 -04:00
|
|
|
/EOU/ , n. The mnemonic of a mythical ASCII control character (End Of User)
|
|
|
|
|
that would make an ASR-33 Teletype explode on receipt. This construction
|
|
|
|
|
parodies the numerous obscure delimiter and control characters left in ASCII
|
|
|
|
|
from the days when it was associated more with wire-service teletypes than
|
|
|
|
|
computers (e.g., FS, GS, RS, US, EM, SUB, ETX, and esp. EOT). It is worth
|
|
|
|
|
remembering that ASR-33s were big, noisy mechanical beasts with a lot of
|
|
|
|
|
clattering parts; the notion that one might explode was nowhere near as
|
|
|
|
|
ridiculous as it might seem to someone sitting in front of a tube or
|
|
|
|
|
flatscreen today.
|
|
|
|
|
|
