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Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2003 01:25:05 +0000
To: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org,
	"Wilkinson,Alex" <Alex.Wilkinson@dsto.defence.gov.au>
From: Anthony Naggs <tony@ubik.demon.co.uk>
References: <200303301558.01010.evms@bu.edu>
 <xzpllywgxkh.fsf@flood.ping.uio.no> <200303311629.07310.evms@bu.edu>
 <20030401100112.D31575@squirm.dsto.defence.gov.au>
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Subject: Re: jiffy.
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In article <20030401100112.D31575@squirm.dsto.defence.gov.au>,
Wilkinson,Alex <Alex.Wilkinson@dsto.defence.gov.au> writes
>erm...what are jiffies ?

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=jiffy

The last definition on the page starts:
  jiffy

  n. 1. The duration of one tick of the system clock on
  your computer (see tick). Often one AC cycle time (1/60 second in
  the U.S. and Canada, 1/50 most other places), but more recently
  1/100 sec has become common. ...


The Commodore PET, for example, called its 1/60 second clock tick a
jiffy.  Used for timing relatively short intervals.


ttfn,
Tony