"zorch" (was Re: "zilch" antedating (1956))

[Mark Mandel]

FWIW, in the summer of 1964 or '65 I learned "zorch", as the name for
the conventional zigzag representation of a lightning bolt or spark,
from an MIT student who was in charge of the ham radio shack at the
summer camp I was attending.

Of the seven definitions at http://dictionary.die.net/zorch (5 of
which are sourced to MIT), six are IMHO plausibly closely relatable to
the sense of lightning: heat, speed, power, or energy. The remaining
one, #6, could be connected to "zilch" and/or to "destroyed as if by
lightning". This site cites "Jargon File (4.3.1, 29 Jun 2001)" for all
except #7.

  1. [TMRC] To attack with an inverse heat sink. [i.e., a heat source -- m a m]

  2. [TMRC] To travel with velocity approaching lightspeed.

  3. [MIT] To propel something very quickly.  "The new comm
  software is very fast; it really zorches files through the
  network."

  4. [MIT] Influence.  Brownie points.  Good karma.  The
  intangible and fuzzy currency in which favours are measured.
  "I'd rather not ask him for that just yet; I think I've used
  up my quota of zorch with him for the week."

  5. [MIT] Energy, drive, or ability.  "I think I'll punt that
  change for now; I've been up for 30 hours and I've run out of
  zorch."

  6. [MIT] To flunk an exam or course.

  7. Computing power.


A number of the online definitions Google turns up for it, e.g. at

On Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 1:41 PM, Jonathan Lighter
<wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> FWIW, both "Zilch" and "Zorch" ('50s lingo for "rad") are genuine surnames.
>
> JL

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