origins of "kludge"

Gordon JC Pearce gordon at gjcp.net
Wed Mar 30 02:01:27 CST 2005


Huw Davies wrote:
> 
> On 30/03/2005, at 11:57 AM, Tom Jennings wrote:
> 
>> I know this could be the start of YET ANOTHER thread "Oh I think
>> it's older than that..." but to avoid that, let's raise the
>> standard from opinion/hearsay to printed word.
> 
> 
> Well kludge has been in common use in Queensland (Australia) since at 
> least the early 1900s as the name of an outside toilet. This probably 
> pre-dates any computing reference :-)
> 
> In Queensland it's pronounced to rhyme with judge,

Doubtless from the Scots word "cludgie", meaning outside toilet.  Since 
we don't have those any more, it refers to any rather squalid toilet - 
think about the bookmaker scene in Trainspotting.

Gordon.


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