flaky

(Or "flakey") Subject to frequent lossage. This use is of

course related to the common slang use of the word to describe

a person as eccentric, crazy, or just unreliable. A system

that is flaky is working, sort of - enough that you are

tempted to try to use it - but fails frequently enough that

the odds in favour of finishing what you start are low.

Commonwealth hackish prefers dodgy.

[Jargon File]

(1996-01-05)