tang

n 1: a tart spiciness [syn: {nip}, {piquance}, {piquancy}, {tanginess},

{zest}]

2: the taste experience when a savoury condiment is taken into

the mouth [syn: {relish}, {flavor}, {flavour}, {sapidity},

{savor}, {savour}, {smack}]

3: common black rockweed used in preparing kelp and as manure

[syn: {bladderwrack}, {black rockweed}, {bladder fucus}, {Fucus

vesiculosus}]

4: brown algae seaweed with serrated edges [syn: {serrated

wrack}, {Fucus serratus}]

5: any of various coarse seaweeds [syn: {sea tang}]

6: any of various kelps esp. of the genus Laminaria [syn: {sea

tangle}]

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)