3 ms·

FWIW "blob" isn't an acronym. It refers metaphorically to an amorphous ball of goop. In databases only, it has been backronymed to "binary large object".

unwind 1y ago
Good point, [1] is a handy reference on the word. Also used in the compound word "blobfish", of which [2] is a well-known specimen. [1]: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/blob https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/blob [2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr_Blobby_(fish) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr_Blobby_(fish)
dspillett 1y ago
Or where the LOB types could actually be text ([N]NVARCHAR(MAX) in SQL Server, or the deprecated [N]TEXT in the same), I refer to them as Bloody Large OBject. Or if you don't like blobs but do like recursive acronyms: Bloody Large Odious BLOB.
aleph_minus_one 1y ago
> FWIW "blob" isn't an acronym. As far as I am aware, BLOB is an acronym for "Binary Large Object" [1], but it is part of the pun that, as you wrote, a blob is (also) an amorphous ball of goop. [1] At least according to the German Wikipedia: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binary_Large_Object https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binary_Large_Object
- colonwqbang 1y ago
  The Blob is a movie from 1958 and the blobs in databases were named after the movie. Later, some people felt that blob should be an acronym. https://web.archive.org/web/20231108173312/https://www.ibphoenix.com/resources/documents/history/doc_299 https://web.archive.org/web/20231108173312/https://www.ibpho...
  - aleph_minus_one 1y ago
    > Later, some people felt that blob should be an acronym. At least this acronym took on a life of its own: we now also have CLOBs (which correspond to no English word that I am aware of): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Character_large_object https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Character_large_object
    - sajb 1y ago
      Aka a backronym.
    - BizarroLand 1y ago
      clobber verb: informal hit (someone) hard. treat or deal with harshly. defeat heavily. Noun: British slang for Clothes, circa 1879 The Fantastic Four's The Thing's catchphrase, "It's clobberin' time!" was the only "clob" I was aware of prior to doing these searches.
satiated_grue 1y ago
Well, hmmm, the word "blob" way predates the 1958 SF horror film of that name: https://www.etymonline.com/word/blob https://www.etymonline.com/word/blob https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blob https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blob

unwind 1y ago

Good point, [1] is a handy reference on the word. Also used in the compound word "blobfish", of which [2] is a well-known specimen. [1]: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/blob https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/blob [2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr_Blobby_(fish) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr_Blobby_(fish)

dspillett 1y ago

Or where the LOB types could actually be text ([N]NVARCHAR(MAX) in SQL Server, or the deprecated [N]TEXT in the same), I refer to them as Bloody Large OBject. Or if you don't like blobs but do like recursive acronyms: Bloody Large Odious BLOB.

aleph_minus_one 1y ago

> FWIW "blob" isn't an acronym. As far as I am aware, BLOB is an acronym for "Binary Large Object" [1], but it is part of the pun that, as you wrote, a blob is (also) an amorphous ball of goop. [1] At least according to the German Wikipedia: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binary_Large_Object https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binary_Large_Object

colonwqbang 1y ago
The Blob is a movie from 1958 and the blobs in databases were named after the movie. Later, some people felt that blob should be an acronym. https://web.archive.org/web/20231108173312/https://www.ibphoenix.com/resources/documents/history/doc_299 https://web.archive.org/web/20231108173312/https://www.ibpho...
- aleph_minus_one 1y ago
  > Later, some people felt that blob should be an acronym. At least this acronym took on a life of its own: we now also have CLOBs (which correspond to no English word that I am aware of): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Character_large_object https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Character_large_object
  - sajb 1y ago
    Aka a backronym.
  - BizarroLand 1y ago
    clobber verb: informal hit (someone) hard. treat or deal with harshly. defeat heavily. Noun: British slang for Clothes, circa 1879 The Fantastic Four's The Thing's catchphrase, "It's clobberin' time!" was the only "clob" I was aware of prior to doing these searches.

satiated_grue 1y ago

Well, hmmm, the word "blob" way predates the 1958 SF horror film of that name: https://www.etymonline.com/word/blob https://www.etymonline.com/word/blob https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blob https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blob