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veeblefetzer
(foldoc) | veeblefetzer
veeblefeetzer
/vee'b*l-fetz'*/ (Or "veeblefeetzer"?) A purposely
nonsensical sounding word applied to any sort of obscure or
complicated object, e.g. a piece of computer code, model
railroad equipment, auto parts, etc.
The more immediate origin of the word is "Mad" Magazine. In
the late 1950s and early 1960s it used the word along the same
lines, especially in its send-ups of big business. "North
American Veeblefetzer" was the subject of satires of an annual
reports, an in-house newsletter, and more. A Veeblefetzer, in
their case, was a robot-like device that did something or
other.
The more distant source was probably a 19th century yiddish
word, possibly with limited usage. In German, "Fetzer" is any
contraption, while "Veeble" is a likely corruption of "Webel"
-- meaning weaving. Textile mills of this period were crammed
with very complicated, wildly active and very loud pieces of
machinery.
See also veeblefester.
[veeblefeetzer or veeblefetzer?]
(1996-03-31)
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