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<sigh> no it isn't. The word 'patch' was used to mean 'a small fix' hundreds of years before computers were even invented. e.g. patching a hole in a sweater.
by kayamon 10y ago
<sigh> no it isn't. The word 'patch' was used to mean 'a small fix' hundreds of years before computers were even invented. e.g. patching a hole in a sweater.
- newsat13 10y agoDon't be a spoilsport :-) Always cooler to retro-actively patch the origins of popular terms..
- kayamon 10y agoDid you know the letter 'A' was invented for the 1983 TV show, the A-Team?
- j2kun 10y agoIs there an old use of the word patch that doesn't directly relate to physical holes (eg., would someone call fixing a tear a "patch"?). If no, then the line of reasoning still makes sense, because without punch cards there would be no physical holes to patch.
- derefr 10y agoI would wonder what term has been used historically for "a small fix to a large conceptual design after flaws have been pointed out." In the modern day, that's almost always "a patch": mathematical theorems get patches, architectural plans get patches, etc. When did this usage start, and what came before it?
- imh 10y agoYeah. When referring to non-physical things, 'patch up' is basically interchangeable with 'mend.' Patching up a relationship is a common usage that comes to mind.