octothorpe

[Steve K.]

On Thu, 29 Jun 2000 Mark_Mandel at DRAGONSYS.COM wrote:

> I have read that the name was given by a telephone company (Bell, at the time)
> engineer who needed a name for the damn thing as a glyph -- a character, apart
> from any significance that might be attached to it -- and combined "octo-" for
> the number of "arms" it has with "Thorpe", his own surname. But I can't give a
> cite.
>
> -- Mark A. Mandel

Indeed, one James Edward Oglethorpe, per our etymologist's research.

The octo comes by way of octal, an eight-point pin used in electronic
connections (due to the eight points of the symbol).

--- Steve K.