Xyzzy

2 definitions found

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

  xyzzy /X-Y-Z-Z-Y/, /X-Y-ziz'ee/, /ziz'ee/, or /ik-ziz'ee/ adj. [from
     the ADVENT game] The {canonical} `magic word'. This comes from {ADVENT},
     in which the idea is to explore an underground cave with many rooms and
     to collect the treasures you find there. If you type `xyzzy' at the
     appropriate time, you can move instantly between two otherwise distant
     points. If, therefore, you encounter some bit of {magic}, you might


     remark on this quite succinctly by saying simply "Xyzzy!" "Ordinarily
     you can't look at someone else's screen if he has protected it, but if
     you type quadruple-bucky-clear the system will let you do it anyway."
     "Xyzzy!" It's traditional for xyzzy to be an {Easter egg} in games with
     text interfaces.
  
     Xyzzy has actually been implemented as an undocumented no-op command
     on several OSes; in Data General's AOS/VS, for example, it would
     typically respond "Nothing happens", just as {ADVENT} did if the magic
     was invoked at the wrong spot or before a player had performed the
     action that enabled the word. In more recent 32-bit versions, by the
     way, AOS/VS responds "Twice as much happens".
  
     Early versions of the popular `minesweeper' game under Microsoft
     Windows had a cheat mode triggered by the command
     `xyzzy' that turns the top-left pixel of the screen
     different colors depending on whether or not the cursor is over a bomb.
     This feature temporarily diasappeared in Windows 98, but reappeared in
     Windows 2000.
  
     The following passage from "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank
     Baum, suggesting a possible pre-ADVENT origin, has recently come to
     light:
  
     "Ziz-zy, zuz-zy, zik!" said Dorothy, who was now standing on both
     feet. This ended the saying of the charm, and they heard a great
     chattering and flapping of wings, as the band of Winged Monkeys flew up
     to them.
  
     The text can be viewed at Project Gutenberg
     (ftp://metalab.unc.edu/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext93/wizoz10.txt).
  
     Another possible pre-ADVENT origin is discussed at the XYZZY page
     (http://people.delphi.com/rickadams/adventure/c_xyzzy.html).
  
  = Y =
  
  

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

  xyzzy
       
           The {canonical} "magic word" from the {ADVENT}
          adventure game, in which the idea is to explore an underground
          cave with many rooms and to collect the treasures you find
          there.  If you type "xyzzy" at the appropriate time, you can
          move instantly between two otherwise distant points.  If,
          therefore, you encounter some bit of {magic}, you might remark
          on this quite succinctly by saying simply "Xyzzy!"
          "Ordinarily you can't look at someone else's screen if he has
          protected it, but if you type quadruple-bucky-clear the system
          will let you do it anyway."  "Xyzzy!"  Xyzzy has actually been
          implemented as an undocumented no-op command on several OSes;
          in Data General's AOS/VS, for example, it would typically
          respond "Nothing happens", just as {ADVENT} did if the magic
          was invoked at the wrong spot or before a player had performed
          the action that enabled the word.  In more recent 32 bit
          versions, by the way, AOS/VS responds "Twice as much happens".
          See also {plugh}.
       
          [{Jargon File}]