From mboxrd@z Thu Jan  1 00:00:00 1970
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From: adam@irvine.com
Subject: Re: What is a queue?
Date: 1999/02/10
Message-ID: <79qmk5$amc$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com>#1/1
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References: <36accbc1.0@news.mountain.net> <79q1qc$blj@top.mitre.org>
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Date: 1999-02-10T00:00:00+00:00
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In article <79q1qc$blj@top.mitre.org>,
  mfb@mbunix.mitre.org (Michael F Brenner) wrote:

> The word queue derives from the British cultural tradition of
> people lining up to get some service. The service is represented
> mathematically by a giant circle, and the people lining up look
> like a straight or curly line. Thus, the two together look like a
> giant letter Q, which was then spelt queue to make it sound
> difficult to spell, which it is. . . .

Hmmm, my Merriam-Webster's Ninth New Collegiate (1984) gives "French,
literally, tail" as the origin of the word.

				-- Adam

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