Etymology

gweep

G2W4E1E1P3

Today it means: To work on a minicomputer late at night. Full definition →

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The story

Purportedly coined by hackers at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in 1977 and still in use through 1991. However, this entry did not appear in the Jargon File until the 1993 version 3.0.0, an edition which prompted controversy about Eric Raymond's stewardship and attention to proper attestation. The reliability of this particular addition is unclear; it was likely in use at WPI in 1991 as reported, but may have been specific to a much smaller subcommunity, particularly as it escaped mention in earlier editions of the Jargon File, which did capture other slang from WPI.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.