gang

n 1: an association of criminals; "police tried to break up the

gang"; "a pack of thieves" [syn: {pack}, {ring}, {mob}]

2: an informal body of friends; "he still hangs out with the

same crowd" [syn: {crowd}, {crew}, {bunch}]

3: an organized group of workmen [syn: {crew}, {work party}]

4: a combination of implements arranged to work together

v : act as a gang [syn: {gang up}]

bang

1. A common spoken name for "!" (ASCII 33), especially when

used in pronouncing a {bang path} in spoken hackish. In

{elder days} this was considered a {CMU}ish usage, with {MIT}

and {Stanford} hackers preferring {excl} or {shriek}; but the

spread of {Unix} has carried "bang" with it (especially via

the term {bang path}) and it is now certainly the most common

spoken name for "!". Note that it is used exclusively for

non-emphatic written "!"; one would not say "Congratulations

bang" (except possibly for humorous purposes), but if one

wanted to specify the exact characters "foo!" one would speak

"Eff oh oh bang".

See {pling}, {shriek}, {ASCII}.

2. An exclamation signifying roughly "I have achieved

enlightenment!", or "The dynamite has cleared out my brain!"

Often used to acknowledge that one has perpetrated a {thinko}

immediately after one has been called on it.

[{Jargon File}]

(1995-01-31)