cokebottle

/kohk'bot-l/ Any very unusual character, particularly one you

can't type because it it isn't on your keyboard. {MIT} people

used to complain about the "control-meta-cokebottle" commands

at {SAIL}, and {SAIL} people complained about the

"{altmode}-altmode-cokebottle" commands at {MIT}. After the

demise of the {space-cadet keyboard}, "cokebottle" faded away

as serious usage, but was often invoked humorously to

describe an (unspecified) weird or non-intuitive keystroke

command. It may be due for a second inning, however. The

{OSF}/{Motif} {window manager}, "{mwm}", has a reserved

keystroke for switching to the default set of keybindings and

behaviour. This keystroke is (believe it or not)

"control-meta-bang" (see {bang}). Since the exclamation point

looks a lot like an upside down Coke bottle, {Motif} hackers

have begun referring to this keystroke as "cokebottle".

See also {quadruple bucky}.

[{Jargon File}]

(1995-01-04)