Etymology

McQuary limit

Today it means: The rule of netiquette stating that the text of a Usenet signature, or sig, should be less than 80 columns wide and no longer than four lines. Full definition →

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The story

After George F. McQuary, a frequent contributor to the newsgroup alt.fan.warlord where flamboyant signatures were criticized.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 1992 The rule of netiquette stating that the text of a Usenet signature, or sig, should be less than 80 columns wide and no longer than four lines.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.