cobol fingers

from Jargon File (4.4.4, 14 Aug 2003)

COBOL fingers
 /koh'bol fing'grz/, n.

   Reported from Sweden, a (hypothetical) disease one might get from
   coding in COBOL. The language requires code verbose beyond all reason
   (see {candygrammar}); thus it is alleged that programming too much in
   COBOL causes one's fingers to wear down to stubs by the endless
   typing. "I refuse to type in all that source code again; it would give
   me COBOL fingers!"

from The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)

COBOL fingers

   <jargon> /koh'bol fing'grz/ Reported from Sweden, a
   hypothetical disease one might get from coding in {COBOL}.
   The language requires code verbose beyond all reason (see
   {candygrammar}); thus it is alleged that programming too much
   in COBOL causes one's fingers to wear down to stubs by the
   endless typing.

   [{Jargon File}]

   (1994-12-22)

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