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T: /T/ 1. [from LISP terminology for ‘true’] Yes. Used in
reply to a question (particularly one asked using The -P convention). In LISP, the constant T
means ‘true’, among other things. Some Lisp hackers use
‘T’ and ‘NIL’ instead of ‘Yes’ and
‘No’ almost reflexively. This sometimes causes
misunderstandings. When a waiter or flight attendant asks whether a hacker
wants coffee, he may absently respond ‘T’, meaning that he
wants coffee; but of course he will be brought a cup of tea instead.
Fortunately, most hackers (particularly those who frequent Chinese
restaurants) like tea at least as well as coffee — so it is not that
big a problem. 2. See time T (also
since time T equals minus infinity). 3. [techspeak] In transaction-processing circles, an abbreviation
for the noun ‘transaction’. 4. [Purdue] Alternate spelling of tee.
5. A dialect of LISP developed at
Yale. (There is an intended allusion to NIL, “New Implementation of
Lisp”, another dialect of Lisp developed for the
VAX)
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