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<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><title>hysterical reasons</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="../H.html" title="H"/><link rel="previous" href="hyperspace.html" title="hyperspace"/><link rel="next" href="../I.html" title="I"/></head><body><div class="navheader"><table width="100%" summary="Navigation header"><tr><th colspan="3" align="center">hysterical reasons</th></tr><tr><td width="20%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="hyperspace.html">Prev</a> </td><th width="60%" align="center">H</th><td width="20%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="../I.html">Next</a></td></tr></table><hr/></div><dt><a id="hysterical-reasons"/><dt xmlns="" id="hysterical-reasons"><b>hysterical reasons</b>: <span xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" class="grammar">n.</span></dt></dt><dd><p> (also <span class="firstterm">hysterical raisins</span>) A
variant on the stock phrase &#8220;<span class="quote">for historical reasons</span>&#8221;,
indicating specifically that something must be done in some stupid way for
backwards compatibility, and moreover that the feature it must be
compatible with was the result of a bad design in the first place.
&#8220;<span class="quote">All IBM PC video adapters have to support MDA text mode for
hysterical reasons.</span>&#8221; Compare
<a href="../B/bug-for-bug-compatible.html"><i class="glossterm">bug-for-bug compatible</i></a>.</p></dd><div class="navfooter"><hr/><table width="100%" summary="Navigation footer"><tr><td width="40%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="hyperspace.html">Prev</a> </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="u" href="../H.html">Up</a></td><td width="40%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="../I.html">Next</a></td></tr><tr><td width="40%" align="left" valign="top">hyperspace </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="h" href="../index.html">Home</a></td><td width="40%" align="right" valign="top"> I</td></tr></table></div></body></html>