mumble

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	This is the JargonFile (V4.00) entry for mumble - Next: munch, Prev: mumblage
:mumble: /interj./ 1. Said when the correct response is too complicated to enunciate, or the speaker has not thought it out. Often prefaces a longer answer, or indicates a general reluctance to get into a long discussion. "Dont you think that we could improve LISP performance by using a hybrid reference-count transaction garbage collector, if the cache is big enough and there are some extra cache bits for the microcode to use?" "Well, mumble ... Ill have to think about it." 2. [[[MIT]]] Expression of not-quite-articulated agreement, often used as an informal vote of consensus in a meeting: "So, shall we dike out the COBOL emulation?" "Mumble!" 3. Sometimes used as an expression of disagreement (distinguished from sense 2 by tone of voice and other cues). "I think we should buy a VAX." "Mumble!" Common variant: mumble frotz (see frotz; interestingly, one does not say mumble frobnitz even though frotz is short for frobnitz). 4. Yet another metasyntactic variable, like foo. 5. When used as a question ("Mumble?") means "I didnt understand you". 6. Sometimes used in public contexts on-line as a placefiller for things one is barred from giving details about. For example, a poster with pre-released hardware in his machine might say "Yup, my machine now has an extra 16M of memory, thanks to the card Im testing for Mumbleco." 7. A conversational wild card used to designate something one doesnt want to bother spelling out, but which can be glarked from context. Compare blurgle. 8. [XEROX PARC] A colloquialism used to suggest that further discussion would be fruitless.
* (text is auto-included via JargonExtension by mutante using jargon with VERSION 4.0.0, 24 JUL 1996 - JargonFile by Eric S. Raymond is in the public domain)