Nathan Hale

An asterisk ("▫", see also {splat}, {ASCII}).

Notionally, from "I regret that I have only one asterisk for

my country!" ("life to give" -> "ass to risk" -> "asterisk"),

a misquote of the famous remark uttered by Nathan Hale just

before he was hanged. Hale was a (failed) spy for the rebels

in the American War of Independence.

[{Jargon File}]

(1996-09-22)