dirtball

from Jargon File (4.4.4, 14 Aug 2003)

dirtball
 n.

   [XEROX PARC] A small, perhaps struggling outsider; not in the major or
   even the minor leagues. For example, "Xerox is not a dirtball
   company".

   [Outsiders often observe in the PARC culture an institutional
   arrogance which usage of this term exemplifies. The brilliance and
   scope of PARC's contributions to computer science have been such that
   this superior attitude is not much resented. --ESR]

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

dirtball

   ({XEROX PARC}) A small, perhaps struggling outsider; not in
   the major or even the minor leagues.  For example, "Xerox is
   not a dirtball company".

   Outsiders often observe in the PARC culture an institutional
   arrogance which usage of this term exemplifies.  The
   brilliance and scope of PARC's contributions to computer
   science have been such that this superior attitude is not much
   resented.  - ESR

   [{Jargon File}]

   (1994-12-07)

[email protected]