wave a dead chicken

2 definitions found

wave a dead chicken - Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (26 May 2007) :

  wave a dead chicken
  
     <jargon> To perform a ritual in the direction of crashed
     software or hardware that one believes to be futile but is
     nevertheless necessary so that others are satisfied that an
     appropriate degree of effort has been expended.  "I'll wave a
     dead chicken over the source code, but I really think we've
     run into an OS bug".
  
     Compare voodoo programming, rain dance.
  
     [Jargon File]
  
     (1996-09-08)
  

wave a dead chicken - Jargon File (4.4.4, 14 Aug 2003) :

  wave a dead chicken
   v.
  
     To perform a ritual in the direction of crashed software or hardware
     that one believes to be futile but is nevertheless necessary so that
     others are satisfied that an appropriate degree of effort has been
     expended. "I'll wave a dead chicken over the source code, but I
  really
     think we've run into an OS bug." Compare voodoo programming, rain dance
     ; see also casting the runes.