20 Words That Have A Totally Different Meaning For A Developer

The only job where talking about someone’s “body” won’t get you fired.

1. “Test”

giphy.com / Via Giphy

This one isn’t fill in the blanks or multiple choice, and your professional relationship with a lot of your coworkers rides on you acing it.

2. “Run”

Via gph.is

Not something you do before or after work, though, you still dread it just as much. But now you have to do it multiple times a day … and you still won’t lose any weight doing it.

3. "Bug"

Via media.giphy.com

You quit your dad’s home exterminator business to go to school and be a programmer, and you’re still cleaning up the mess bugs leave behind. Life’s just not fair, is it?

4. “If” And “When”

Via gph.is

Anytime someone starts a sentence with these two words, you end up listening to the next part VERY CAREFULLY.

5. “Switch”

Via media.giphy.com

When your developer buddy tells you he spent all weekend trying to install a switch, don’t recommend a good electrician. He will stare at you with hate.

6. "Brackets"

Via gph.is

You've definitely filled out too many and you're silently praying that one of them doesn't blow up in your face.

7. "Logic"

Via gph.is

The thing you wish all users had, but, ultimately, the thing you’re still trying to figure out yourself.

8. “Semicolon”

Not really a word, but still, IT IS THE DEVIL. THIS IS THE BANE OF YOUR EXISTENCE. When you hunt for one you can’t find it; and when you find it, it doesn’t fit.

9. "Java"

Via media.giphy.com

Obviously developers still drink coffee. Just don’t ask them if they’d “Like to go grab some java?” unless you’re prepared to debate Hibernate vs. Struts frameworks for hours on end.

10. "Lisp"

Via gph.is

Unlike high school, this will probably make you more popular at some of those more nerdy parties you go to.

11. "Child"

Via gph.is

You have more than one, like … a lot more. And they’re all from different parents. Yet oddly enough, your mother(board) still lets you come home for Christmas.

12. "Fork"

Via media.giphy.com

You get proud of your and your friend’s forks, instead of worrying about whether you remembered to pack one with your lunch. In fact, you’re forking right now.

13. "Header"

Via media.giphy.com

When your friends send you an email with the subject line, “Nice header,” and you’re disappointed when it’s just a video of a soccer goal.

14. "Body"

Via giphy.com

When your friend exclaims "Nice body!" you're more than likely looking at an SEO optimized landing page and not this month's centerfold.

15. "Loop"

Via abdtechnology.com

Your mind is a series of loops. It's the only way you think "straight." And you secretly hope that every highway trip ends with you getting off at Exit 0.

16. "User"

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The main reason for every computer error. Well … either that or Jeff Bridges.

17. "Inheritance"

Via media.giphy.com

When people ask you about your family inheritance, you tell them not to worry about it, “My superclass is handling it.”

18. "Housekeeping"

Via gph.is

You hate it, more than a 13 year old hates cleaning his room, but you still feel like Merlin’s apprentice when you finally get it to work right.

19. "Master"

Giphy / Via media.giphy.com

You've been training for years, studying concepts known only to a few, and spent hours rigorously preparing yourself for any opponent, but the only thing your PC cares about is which hard drive was plugged in first.

20. "Analytics"

castsoftware.com / Via castsoftware.com

We’re not talking about blog traffic. Mention analytics to a developer and you’ll see every stage of grief: Denial (“They don’t have time to install analytics.”), Anger (“What, do they not like my work!?”), Bargaining (“OK, well what if I fix 2 of the 10 bugs?”), Depression (“I guess I work for the NSA now.”), and Acceptance (“Hey, this analytics crap is actually useful!”).