[plug] Gut modem für Linux? [those blinking lights again]

[Mike Holland]

http://davidenglish.com/html/body_jargon.html

blinkenlights /blink'*n-li:tz/  n. Front-panel diagnostic lights on a
   computer, esp. a dinosaur. Derives from the last word of the famous
   blackletter-Gothic sign in mangled pseudo-German that once graced
   about half the computer rooms in the English-speaking world. One
   version ran in its entirety as follows:

   ACHTUNG!  ALLES LOOKENSPEEPERS!  Das computermachine ist nicht fuer
   gefingerpoken und mittengrabben. Ist easy schnappen der springenwerk,
   blowenfusen und poppencorken mit spitzensparken. Ist nicht fuer
   gewerken bei das dumpkopfen. Das rubbernecken sichtseeren keepen das
   cotten-pickenen hans in das pockets muss; relaxen und watchen das
   blinkenlichten.

   This silliness dates back at least as far as 1959 at Stanford
   University and had already gone international by the early 1960s, when
   it was reported at London Universitys ATLAS computing site. There are
   several variants of it in circulation, some of which actually do end
   with the word blinkenlight.


On Fri, 18 Aug 2000, Leon Brooks wrote:

> Mike Holland wrote:
> > Am Thu, 17 Aug 2000, Len Bird schreiben:
> >>> External modems are generally safer, plus you get das
> >>> blinkenlights to watch.
> >> Surely Die Blinkenlights---it is plural!!!!
> > Mein Gott, das ist die Blinkenlichter, Dummkopf!
> 
> "Herr Assassin" is right. Das blinkenlighten ("dass blinkenlich<hawk,
> spit>tenn." There is a really good (and funny) essay somewhere on the
> net about German verbs, which I've read, so I should know better.

German noun declention may be getting a little of topic, and we really
were talking about mock german, but isnt the plural definite article
"die" in both nominative and accusative cases (subject & object) ?
  And the plural of licht just happens to be lichter. No logic - thats
just the way it is.  BTW "das blinklicht" is a car indicator.

-- 
Mike Holland  <mike at golden.wattle.id.au>
                          --==--