frobnicate
/frob'ni-kayt/ (Possibly from frobnitz, and usually abbreviated to frob, but
"frobnicate" is recognised as the official full form). To manipulate or adjust,
to tweak. One frequently frobs bits or other 2-state devices. Thus: "Please frob
the light switch" (that is, flip it), but also "Stop frobbing that clasp; you'll
break it". One also sees the construction "to frob a frob".
Usage: frob, twiddle, and tweak sometimes connote points along a continuum.
"Frob" connotes aimless manipulation; "twiddle" connotes gross manipulation,
often a coarse search for a proper setting; "tweak" connotes fine-tuning. If
someone is turning a knob on an oscilloscope, then if he's carefully adjusting
it, he is probably tweaking it; if he is just turning it but looking at the
screen, he is probably twiddling it; but if he's just doing it because turning a
knob is fun, he's frobbing it. The variant "frobnosticate" has also been
reported.
(1994-12-16)
Nearby terms:
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frobnitz » Frobozz Magic Programming Language »
frogging
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