metasyntactic variable

metasyntactic variable
 n.

   A name used in examples and understood to stand for whatever thing is
   under discussion, or any random member of a class of things under
   discussion. The word {foo} is the {canonical} example. To avoid
   confusion, hackers never (well, hardly ever) use `foo' or other words
   like it as permanent names for anything. In filenames, a common
   convention is that any filename beginning with a
   metasyntactic-variable name is a {scratch} file that may be deleted at
   any time.

   Metasyntactic variables are so called because (1) they are variables
   in the metalanguage used to talk about programs etc; (2) they are
   variables whose values are often variables (as in usages like "the
   value of f(foo,bar) is the sum of foo and bar"). However, it has been
   plausibly suggested that the real reason for the term "metasyntactic
   variable" is that it sounds good. To some extent, the list of one's
   preferred metasyntactic variables is a cultural signature. They occur
   both in series (used for related groups of variables or objects) and
   as singletons. Here are a few common signatures:

   {foo}, {bar}, {baz}, {quux}, quuux, quuuux...: MIT/Stanford usage, now
   found everywhere (thanks largely to early versions of this lexicon!).
   At MIT (but not at Stanford), {baz} dropped out of use for a while in
   the 1970s and '80s. A common recent mutation of this sequence inserts
   {qux}before {quux}.
   bazola, ztesch: Stanford (from mid-'70s on).
   {foo}, {bar}, thud, grunt: This series was popular at CMU. Other
   CMU-associated variables include {gorp}.
   {foo}, {bar}, bletch: Waterloo University. We are informed that the CS
   club at Waterloo formerly had a sign on its door reading "Ye Olde Foo
   Bar and Grill"; this led to an attempt to establish "grill" as the
   third metasyntactic variable, but it never caught on.
   {foo}, {bar}, fum: This series is reported to be common at XEROX PARC.
   {fred}, jim, sheila, {barney}: See the entry for {fred}. These tend to
   be Britishisms.
   {flarp}: Popular at Rutgers University and among {GOSMACS} hackers.
   zxc, spqr, wombat: Cambridge University (England).
   shme Berkeley, GeoWorks, Ingres. Pronounced /shme/ with a short /e/.
   foo, bar, baz, bongo Yale, late 1970s.
   spam, eggs {Python} programmers.
   snork Brown University, early 1970s.
   {foo}, {bar}, zot Helsinki University of Technology, Finland.
   blarg, {wibble} New Zealand.
   toto, titi, tata, tutu France.
   pippo, pluto, paperino Italy. Pippo /pee'po/ and Paperino
   /pa.per.ee'.no/ are the Italian names for Goofy and Donald Duck.
   aap, noot, mies The Netherlands. These are the first words a child
   used to learn to spell on a Dutch spelling board.
   oogle, foogle, boogle; zork, gork, bork These two series (which may be
   continued with other initial consonents) are reportedly common in
   England, and said to go back to Lewis Carroll.

   Of all these, only foo and bar are universal (and {baz} nearly so).
   The compounds {foobar} and foobaz also enjoy very wide currency. Some
   jargon terms are also used as metasyntactic names; {barf} and
   {mumble}, for example. See also {Commonwealth Hackish} for discussion
   of numerous metasyntactic variables found in Great Britain and the
   Commonwealth.
    

metasyntactic variable

   <grammar> Strictly, a {variable} used in {metasyntax}, but
   often used for any name used in examples and understood to
   stand for whatever thing is under discussion, or any random
   member of a class of things under discussion.  The word {foo}
   is the {canonical} example.  To avoid confusion, hackers never
   (well, hardly ever) use "foo" or other words like it as
   permanent names for anything.

   In filenames, a common convention is that any filename
   beginning with a metasyntactic-variable name is a {scratch}
   file that may be deleted at any time.

   To some extent, the list of one's preferred metasyntactic
   variables is a cultural signature.  They occur both in series
   (used for related groups of variables or objects) and as
   singletons.  Here are a few common signatures:

   {foo}, {bar}, {baz}, {quux}, quuux, quuuux...: MIT/Stanford
   usage, now found everywhere.  At MIT (but not at Stanford),
   {baz} dropped out of use for a while in the 1970s and '80s.  A
   common recent mutation of this sequence inserts {qux} before
   {quux}.

   bazola, ztesch: Stanford (from mid-'70s on).

   {foo}, {bar}, thud, grunt: This series was popular at CMU.
   Other CMU-associated variables include ack, barf, foo, and
   {gorp}.

   {foo}, {bar}, fum: This series is reported to be common at
   {Xerox PARC}.

   {fred}, {barney}: See the entry for {fred}.  These tend to be
   Britishisms.

   {toto}, titi, tata, tutu: Standard series of metasyntactic
   variables among francophones.

   {corge}, {grault}, {flarp}: Popular at Rutgers University and
   among {GOSMACS} hackers.

   zxc, spqr, {wombat}: Cambridge University (England).

   shme: Berkeley, GeoWorks, Ingres.  Pronounced /shme/ with a
   short /e/.

   {foo}, {bar}, zot: {Helsinki University of Technology},
   Finland.

   blarg, wibble: New Zealand

   Of all these, only "foo" and "bar" are universal (and {baz}
   nearly so).  The compounds {foobar} and "foobaz" also enjoy
   very wide currency.

   Some jargon terms are also used as metasyntactic names; {barf}
   and {mumble}, for example.

   See also {Commonwealth Hackish} for discussion of numerous
   metasyntactic variables found in Great Britain and the
   Commonwealth.

   [{Jargon File}]

   (1995-11-13)