Dirtball

2 definitions found

From Jargon File (4.3.1, 29 Jun 2001) [jargon]:

  dirtball n. [XEROX PARC] A small, perhaps struggling outsider; not in
     the major or even the minor leagues. For example, "Xerox is not a
     dirtball company".
  
     [Outsiders often observe in the PARC culture an institutional
     arrogance which usage of this term exemplifies. The brilliance and scope


     of PARC's contributions to computer science have been such that this
     superior attitude is not much resented. --ESR]
  
  

From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:

  dirtball
       
          ({XEROX PARC}) A small, perhaps struggling outsider; not in
          the major or even the minor leagues.  For example, "Xerox is
          not a dirtball company".
       
          Outsiders often observe in the PARC culture an institutional
          arrogance which usage of this term exemplifies.  The
          brilliance and scope of PARC's contributions to computer
          science have been such that this superior attitude is not much
          resented.  - ESR
       
          [{Jargon File}]
       
          (1994-12-07)