The Computer Contradictionary

The Computer Contradictionary is a non-fiction book by Stan Kelly-Bootle that compiles a satirical list of definitions of computer industry terms. It is an example of "cynical lexicography" in the tradition of Ambrose Bierce's The Devil's Dictionary. Rather than offering a factual account of usage, its definitions are largely made up by the author.

The book was published in May 1995 by MIT Press and is an update of Kelly-Bootle's The Devil's DP Dictionary which appeared in 1981.

Examples

 * Endless loop. See:  Loop, endless


 * Loop, endless. See:   Endless loop


 * Recursion. See: Recursion

Reception
The Los Angeles Times panned the book, wrote that it was "smartly-titled" but was an "awfully stupid book". ACM Computing Reviews recommended dipping into it because "a dictionary is a difficult read".