twonkie

/twon'kee/ The software equivalent of a Twinkie (a variety of

sugar-loaded junk food, or (in gay slang) the male equivalent

of "chick"); a useless "feature" added to look sexy and

placate a marketroid.

Compare Saturday-night special.

The term may also be related to "The Twonky", title menace of

a classic SF short story by Lewis Padgett (Henry Kuttner and

C. L. Moore), first published in the September 1942

"Astounding Science Fiction" and subsequently much

anthologised.

[Jargon File]

(1994-10-20)