wank
from
Jargon File (4.4.4, 14 Aug 2003)
wank
/wangk/, n.,v.,adj.
[Columbia University: prob.: by mutation from Commonwealth slang v.
wank, to masturbate] Used much as {hack} is elsewhere, as a noun
denoting a clever technique or person or the result of such
cleverness. May describe (negatively) the act of hacking for hacking's
sake ("Quit wanking, let's go get supper!") or (more positively) a
{wizard}. Adj. wanky describes something particularly clever (a
person, program, or algorithm). Conversations can also get wanky when
there are too many wanks involved. This excess wankiness is signalled
by an overload of the wankometer (compare {bogometer}). When the
wankometer overloads, the conversation's subject must be changed, or
all non-wanks will leave. Compare neep-neeping (under {neep-neep}).
Usage: U.S. only. In Britain and the Commonwealth this word is
extremely rude and is best avoided unless one intends to give offense.
Adjectival wanky is less offensive and simply means `stupid' or
`broken' (this is mainstream in Great Britain).
from
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)
wank
/wangk/ [Columbia University: probably by mutation from
Commonwealth slang "wank", to masturbate] Used much as {hack}
is elsewhere, as a noun denoting a clever technique or person
or the result of such cleverness. May describe (negatively)
the act of hacking for hacking's sake ("Quit wanking, let's go
get supper!") or (more positively) a {wizard}. "wanky"
describes something particularly clever (a person, program, or
algorithm). Conversations can also get wanky when there are
too many wanks involved. This excess wankiness is signalled
by an overload of the "wankometer" (compare {bogometer}).
When the wankometer overloads, the conversation's subject must
be changed, or all non-wanks will leave. Compare
"neep-neeping" (under {neep-neep}). Usage: US only. In
Britain and the Commonwealth this word is *extremely* rude and
is best avoided unless one intends to give offense.
[email protected]