Stop typing M$ -- it's not as funny or clever as you think it is

[alephnull]

The Lurker said:

twesterm said:

alephnull said:
M$ was originally a reference BASIC with a double entendre. Originally in BASIC variable names could only have one letter (such as M) and since the "microsoft" is a string you would have to reference any variable by ending it with a $ (eg. M$).

You didn't get the joke and neither do most people these days, but that doesn't mean it wasn't clever.

 

You're right, I don't get that joke (and don't remember BASIC only letting me having variables with names that are one letter, but it's been years since I used BASIC) but I was referring to the people that say M$ meaning an evil money grubbing corporation.

 

I remember when BASIC only let you use single letter variable names, but I also remember M$ coming into use in the late 80s. All of the MS BASICs I can think of for 80s micros (Applesoft, BASICA, GW-BASIC) all supported long variable names. TRS-BASIC only let you have short variables, but that's nothing to do with MS. Is this is a reference to Altairs? If so, it sounds like one of those retroactively applied meanings.

As far as I know, there's no BASIC reference. The phrase was coined after that period. M$ is just short for Micro$oft or Micro$haft.

I use M$ if I'm referring to Bill Gates' money-grubbing ways and I think I'm being snarky.

The first time I think I heard this explanation was by my Pascal instructor at Appalachian State during this summer program I was taking in the early 90s. This may come as a surprise to you, but most pascal enthusiasts tended to not have that same level of enthusiasm for BASIC :P