Earlier this year, we announced the first annual Bad C Pun contest. Our goal was to rid the world of all those terrible puns that seem to spring spontaneously from everyone who hears C mentioned.Response to the contest was great. We received over 100 entries. Stan Kelly-Bootle was gracious enough to serve as judge and jury. We announced the winners at Software Development '90, held in Oakland, CA, earlier this year.
We want to emphasize that Stan chose the winning puns. I think you'll see why we make this point as you read through the "winners."
Third runner up was from Robie MacRae, Somersworth, NH: "To C or not to C. That is no longer the question."
The second runner-up pun hinted at the future of C. "From C to Shining C++", from Albert J. Grubis, Bedford, MA.
The winning pun: "C-soned C programmers rely on their C-manship and The C Users Journal to avoid C-sickness," from John Cromer, Lincolnton, NC. (C why I wanted you to blame Stan.)
Seven C-soned programmers received fourth place honors:
"I came, I C'd, I conquered" by John Gardenier, Vienna, VA.
"What did Bob Hope say after a malloc? 'Thanks for the memory' ", from Rick Knoblaugh, Houston, TX.
"How much char could a char star star if a char star could star char", from Robert H. Dinah, Oakland, CA.
"Cphylis: a computer virus which attacks weakened structures," from C. Kruchowy, Somis, CA.
From Barry Combs, Denver, CO., "UNIX is Cnik".
And this entry from Jeffrey R. Claus, Santa Monica, CA, was in the form of a dialogue:
"Q: Are you a qualified programmer?
A: Si.
Q: Have you ever used the UNIX operating system?
A: Si.
Q: What languages have you used?
A: Si."
Can you believe we paid cash money prizes for some of these?
Sincerely yours,
Robert Ward, Editor/Publisher