feature key

hardware (Or "flower", "pretzel", "clover", "propeller",

"beanie" (from propeller beanie), splat, "command key") The

Macintosh key with the cloverleaf graphic on its keytop.

The feature key is the Mac's equivalent of an alt key (and

so labelled on some Mac II keyboards). The proliferation of

terms for this creature may illustrate one subtle peril of

iconic interfaces.

Many people have been mystified by the cloverleaf-like symbol

that appears on the feature key. Its oldest name is "cross of

St. Hannes", but it occurs in pre-Christian Viking art as a

decorative motif. Throughout Scandinavia today the road

agencies use it to mark sites of historical interest. AppleComputer picked up the symbol from an early Macintosh

developer who happened to be Swedish. Apple documentation

gives the translation "interesting feature"!

There is some dispute as to the proper (Swedish) name of this

symbol. It technically stands for the word "sev"ardhet"

(interesting feature) many of these are old churches. Some

Swedes report as an idiom for it the word "kyrka", cognate to

English "church" and Scots-dialect "kirk" but pronounced

/shir'k*/ in modern Swedish. Others say this is nonsense.

[Jargon File]

(1997-11-20)