Crossword-Solution: JCL 3 letters, 1 clue 🏆 scrabble score: 12

The UNIX `dd(1)' was designed with a weird, distinctly non-UNIXy keyword option syntax reminiscent of IBM System/360 JCL (which had an elaborate DD `Data Definition' specification for I/O devices); though the command filled a need, the interface design was clearly a prank.

JCL has a very {fascist} syntax, and some versions will, for example, {barf} if two spaces appear where it expects one.

Most programmers confronted with JCL simply copy a working file (or card deck), changing the file names.

Someone who actually understands and generates unique JCL is regarded with the mixed respect one gives to someone who memorizes the phone book.

Other well-known retrocomputing hacks have included the programming language {INTERCAL}, a {JCL}-emulating shell for UNIX, the card-punch-emulating editor named 029, and various elaborate PDP-11 hardware emulators and RT-11 OS emulators written just to keep an old, sourceless {Zork} binary running.