Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Slang word of the day: fat-finger

Today's slang word of the day is fat-finger. Click here to vote on usage, vulgarity, etc.

fat-finger

noun

  • an instance of fat-fingering.
    The "fat finger" that supposedly triggered a scary U.S. market selloff on Thursday is likely just a myth.

    Soon after the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 6 percent in 10 minutes, rumors abounded that a trader had sparked the rout by erroneously inputing a massive "sell" order -- a mistake known as a "fat finger."

    -- ""Fat finger" role in selloff likely a myth", Reuters, Dan Wilchins, May 7 2010

transitive verb

  • To accidentally press an adjacent button, e.g. while typing on a keyboard or entering a phone number. Happens more frequently as the button size is reduced, e.g. on cell phones.
    Whoops, I just fat-fingered his phone number.

    More words meaning: computer slang
    More words meaning: to make a mistake, be incorrect, err

-- Walter (waltergr@aol.com)

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