boat anchor

boat anchor
 n.

   [common; from ham radio]

   1. Like {doorstop} but more severe; implies that the offending
   hardware is irreversibly dead or useless. "That was a working
   motherboard once. One lightning strike later, instant boat anchor!"

   2. A person who just takes up space.

   3. Obsolete but still working hardware, especially when used of an
   old, bulky, quirky system; originally a term of annoyance, but became
   more and more affectionate as the hardware became more and more
   obsolete.

   Auctioneers use this term for a large, undesirable object such as a
   washing machine; actual boating enthusiasts, however, use "mooring
   anchor" for frustrating (not actually useless) equipment.
    

boat anchor

   1. Like {doorstop} but more severe; implies that the offending
   hardware is irreversibly dead or useless.  "That was a working
   motherboard once.  One lightning strike later, instant boat
   anchor!"

   2. A person who just takes up space.

   3. Obsolete but still working hardware, especially when used
   of an old S100-bus hobbyist system; originally a term of
   annoyance, but became more and more affectionate as the
   hardware became more and more obsolete.

   [{Jargon File}]