Pro Verb

See dictionary definition:

   http://www.infoplease.com/ipd/A0607250.html

Pro-verb

a word that can substitute for a verb or verb phrase, as "do" in "They never attend board meetings, but we do regularly."

proverb (no dash)

a short story with a moral message (see dictionary reference above)

(Referenced in AdjectivesAndAdverbs.)

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Computing community proverbs

I was talking to an acquaintance at Oopsla97, and the conversation drifted into a language war. One of the participants interjected "You can write FORTRAN in any language", and peace broke out.

It occurred to me that the computer community is building its own stock of accumulated wisdom in proverb form, and that it might be worth collecting them here. A proverb may sound funny, but it is never just a joke. "At <software company>, Quality is Job 2.0" is a joke, but "Never buy version 1.0 of anything" is a proverb.

-- BetsyHanesPerry

Proverbs

• You can write FORTRAN in any language.
• Fast, good, and cheap -- pick two. [and other IncompatibleGoals]
• The first 90% of the problem takes 90% of the time. The remaining 10% takes another 90%....
• Keep It Simple, Stupid.

Proto-proverbs

• This is a religious argument. (Meaning "Both positions have a valid basis, and we can't convince one another with reason alone.")

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See HaHaOnlySerious, AntiVerb?, UgLy