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<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><title>tar and feather</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="../../jargon.css" type="text/css"/><meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets V1.61.0"/><link rel="home" href="../index.html" title="The Jargon File"/><link rel="up" href="../T.html" title="T"/><link rel="previous" href="tape-monkey.html" title="tape monkey"/><link rel="next" href="tarball.html" title="tarball"/></head><body><div class="navheader"><table width="100%" summary="Navigation header"><tr><th colspan="3" align="center">tar and feather</th></tr><tr><td width="20%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="tape-monkey.html">Prev</a> </td><th width="60%" align="center">T</th><td width="20%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="tarball.html">Next</a></td></tr></table><hr/></div><dt><a id="tar-and-feather"/><dt xmlns="" id="tar-and-feather"><b>tar and feather</b>: <span xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" class="grammar">vi.</span></dt></dt><dd><p> [from Unix
<span class="citerefentry"><span class="refentrytitle">tar</span>(1)</span>]
To create a transportable archive from a group of files by first sticking
them together with
<span class="citerefentry"><span class="refentrytitle">tar</span>(1)</span>
(the Tape ARchiver) and then compressing the result (see
<a href="../C/compress.html"><i class="glossterm">compress</i></a>). The latter action is dubbed <span class="firstterm">feathering</span> partly for euphony and (if only for
contrived effect) by analogy to what you do with an airplane propeller to
decrease wind resistance, or with an oar to reduce water resistance;
smaller files, after all, slip through comm links more easily. Compare the
more common <a href="tarball.html"><i class="glossterm">tarball</i></a>. Earlier, the phrase referred
to a punishment in which the victims had tar being poured upon them and
then, whilst the tar was still sticky, having a pillow full of feathers -
or other material &#8212; thrown at them. See <a href="http://www.nwta.com/Spy/spring99/tar.html" target="_top">http://www.nwta.com/Spy/spring99/tar.html</a>.</p></dd><div class="navfooter"><hr/><table width="100%" summary="Navigation footer"><tr><td width="40%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="tape-monkey.html">Prev</a> </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="u" href="../T.html">Up</a></td><td width="40%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="tarball.html">Next</a></td></tr><tr><td width="40%" align="left" valign="top">tape monkey </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="h" href="../index.html">Home</a></td><td width="40%" align="right" valign="top"> tarball</td></tr></table></div></body></html>