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bogon


bogon


  2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Jargon  File  (4.2.3,  23  NOV  2000)  [jargon]: 
 
  bogon  /boh'gon/  n.  [very  common;  by  analogy  with 
  proton/electron/neutron,  but  doubtless  reinforced  after  1980  by  the 
  similarity  to  Douglas  Adams's  `Vogons';  see  the  {Bibliography}  in 
  Appendix  C  and  note  that  Arthur  Dent  actually  mispronounces  `Vogons' 
  as  `Bogons'  at  one  point]  1.  The  elementary  particle  of  bogosity  (see 
  {quantum  bogodynamics}).  For  instance,  "the  Ethernet  is  emitting  bogons 
  again"  means  that  it  is  broken  or  acting  in  an  erratic  or  bogus  fashion. 
  2.  A  query  packet  sent  from  a  TCP/IP  domain  resolver  to  a  root  server, 
  having  the  reply  bit  set  instead  of  the  query  bit.  3.  Any  bogus  or 
  incorrectly  formed  packet  sent  on  a  network.  4.  By  synecdoche,  used  to 
  refer  to  any  bogus  thing  as  in  "I'd  like  to  go  to  lunch  with  you  but 
  I've  got  to  go  to  the  weekly  staff  bogon".  5.  A  person  who  is  bogus  or 
  who  says  bogus  things  This  was  historically  the  original  usage,  but 
  has  been  overtaken  by  its  derivative  senses  1-4.  See  also  {bogosity}, 
  {bogus};  compare  {psyton},  {fat  electrons},  {magic  smoke}. 
 
  The  bogon  has  become  the  type  case  for  a  whole  bestiary  of  nonce 
  particle  names  including  the  `clutron'  or  `cluon'  (indivisible  particle 
  of  cluefulness  obviously  the  antiparticle  of  the  bogon)  and  the  futon 
  (elementary  particle  of  {randomness},  or  sometimes  of  lameness). 
  These  are  not  so  much  live  usages  in  themselves  as  examples  of  a 
  live  meta-usage:  that  is  it  has  become  a  standard  joke  or  linguistic 
  maneuver  to  explain"  otherwise  mysterious  circumstances  by  inventing 
  nonce  particle  names  And  these  imply  nonce  particle  theories,  with  all 
  their  dignity  or  lack  thereof  (we  might  note  parenthetically  that  this 
  is  a  generalization  from  "(bogus  particle)  theories"  to  "bogus  (particle 
  theories)"!).  Perhaps  such  particles  are  the  modern-day  equivalents 
  of  trolls  and  wood-nymphs  as  standard  starting-points  around  which  to 
  construct  explanatory  myths.  Of  course,  playing  on  an  existing  word 
  (as  in  the  `futon')  yields  additional  flavor.  Compare  {magic  smoke}. 
 
 
 
  From  The  Free  On-line  Dictionary  of  Computing  (13  Mar  01)  [foldoc]: 
 
  bogon 
 
  /boh'gon/  [by  analogy  with  proton/electron/neutron,  but 
  doubtless  reinforced  after  1980  by  the  similarity  to  Douglas 
  Adams's  "Vogons"]  1.  The  elementary  particle  of  bogosity  (see 
  {quantum  bogodynamics}).  For  instance,  "the  Ethernet  is 
  emitting  bogons  again"  means  that  it  is  broken  or  acting  in  an 
  erratic  or  bogus  fashion. 
 
  2.  A  query  {packet}  sent  from  a  {TCP/IP}  {domain  resolver}  to 
  a  root  server,  having  the  reply  bit  set  instead  of  the  query 
  bit. 
 
  3.  Any  bogus  or  incorrectly  formed  packet  sent  on  a  network. 
 
  4.  A  person  who  is  bogus  or  who  says  bogus  things  This  was 
  historically  the  original  usage,  but  has  been  overtaken  by  its 
  derivative  senses  See  also  {bogosity},  {bogus};  compare 
  {psyton},  {fat  electrons},  {magic  smoke}. 
 
  The  bogon  has  become  the  type  case  for  a  whole  bestiary  of 
  nonce  particle  names  including  the  clutron"  or  cluon" 
  (indivisible  particle  of  cluefulness  obviously  the 
  antiparticle  of  the  bogon)  and  the  futon  (elementary  particle 
  of  {randomness},  or  sometimes  of  lameness).  These  are  not  so 
  much  live  usages  in  themselves  as  examples  of  a  live 
  meta-usage:  that  is  it  has  become  a  standard  joke  or 
  linguistic  maneuver  to  explain"  otherwise  mysterious 
  circumstances  by  inventing  nonce  particle  names  And  these 
  imply  nonce  particle  theories,  with  all  their  dignity  or  lack 
  thereof  (we  might  note  parenthetically  that  this  is  a 
  generalisation  from  "(bogus  particle)  theories"  to  "bogus 
  (particle  theories)"!).  Perhaps  such  particles  are  the 
  modern-day  equivalents  of  trolls  and  wood-nymphs  as  standard 
  starting-points  around  which  to  construct  explanatory  myths. 
  Of  course,  playing  on  an  existing  word  (as  in  the  "futon") 
  yields  additional  flavour. 
 
  [{Jargon  File}]