blivet

English

Etymology

Unknown; seems to have been coined by American soldiers in World War Two.[1]

Noun

blivet (plural blivets)

  1. Anything overfull.
  2. An item of unknown purpose, often unnecessary or useless or annoying.
  3. (computing, slang) A program that has been worked on by many poorly skilled programmers and is now a mess.
  4. (electronics) An electronic signal that is normally high or on, but goes low for a very short period and then returns to high. A low going spike.
  5. (geology) A hammer sometimes used by geologists to chop rock samples from boulders for examination.
  6. (welding) A hammer used by electric welders to knock slag off of the welded joint. Such blivet hammers sometimes have springs for handles instead of solid wood or plastic to lessen shock to the human hands.
  7. (air conditioning) A container/tank for refrigerant gas.
  8. (military) A portable, collapsible container for liquid fuel.

References
  1. 1967, H. Wentworth & S. B. Flexner, Dictionary of American Slang Supplement 673/2: Blivit, n., anything unnecessary, confused, or annoying. Lit. defined as ‘10 pounds of shit in a 5-pound bag’. Orig. W.W. II Army use. The word is seldom heard except when the speaker uses it in order to define it; hence the word is actually a joke.

Swedish

Adjective

blivet

  1. absolute indefinite neuter form of bliven.
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