twiddle

n : a series of small (usually idle) twists or turns

v 1: turn in a twisting or spinning motion; "The leaves swirled

in the autumn wind" [syn: {twirl}, {swirl}, {whirl}]

2: manipulate, as in a nervous or unconscious manner [syn: {fiddle

with}]

twiddle

1. The tilde character ("~", ASCII 126). Also called

"squiggle", "sqiggle" (sic - pronounced /skig'l/), and

"twaddle", but twiddle is the most common term.

2. A small and insignificant change to a program. Usually

fixes one bug and generates several new ones (see also

{shotgun debugging}).

3. To change something in a small way. Bits, for example, are

often twiddled. Twiddling a switch or knob implies much less

sense of purpose than toggling or {tweak}ing it; see

{frobnicate}. {Bit twiddling} connotes aimlessness, and at

best doesn't specify what you're doing to the bit; to

"{toggle} a bit" has a more specific meaning.

[{Jargon File}]

(1995-01-31)