the X that can be Y is not the true X
Yet another instance of hackerdom's peculiar attraction to mystical references -
a common humorous way of making exclusive statements about a class of things.
The template is from the "Tao te Ching": "The Tao which can be spoken of is not
the true Tao." The implication is often that the X is a mystery accessible only
to the enlightened. See the trampoline entry for an example, and compare has the
X nature.
[Jargon File]
Nearby terms:
Theseus « The story of Mel, a Real Programmer « The
World Of Cryton « the X that can be Y is not the
true X » thicket » thick Ethernet cable »
thicknet
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