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boat anchor: n. [common; from ham radio] 1. Like doorstop but more severe; implies
that the offending hardware is irreversibly dead or useless. “That
was a working motherboard once. One lightning strike later, instant boat
anchor!” 2. A person who just takes up space. 3. Obsolete but still working hardware, especially when used of an
old, bulky, quirky system; originally a term of annoyance, but became
more and more affectionate as the hardware became more and more
obsolete. Auctioneers use this term for a large, undesirable object such as a
washing machine; actual boating enthusiasts, however, use “mooring
anchor” for frustrating (not actually useless) equipment.
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