(also mouse on drugs) A malady
exhibited by the mouse pointing device of some computers. The typical
symptom is for the mouse cursor on the screen to move in random directions
and not in sync with the motion of the actual mouse. Can usually be
corrected by unplugging the mouse and plugging it back again. Another
recommended fix for optical mice is to rotate your mouse pad 90
degrees.
At Xerox PARC in the 1970s, most people kept a can of copier cleaner
(isopropyl alcohol) at their desks. When the steel ball on the mouse had
picked up enough cruft to be unreliable, the mouse
was doused in cleaner, which restored it for a while. However, this
operation left a fine residue that accelerated the accumulation of cruft,
so the dousings became more and more frequent. Finally, the mouse was
declared ‘alcoholic’ and sent to the clinic to be dried out in
a CFC ultrasonic bath.
