= P =
plokta /plok't*/ v.
[acronym: Press Lots Of Keys To
Abort] To press random keys in an attempt to get some response
from the system. One might plokta when the abort procedure for a
program is not known, or when trying to figure out if the system is
just sluggish or really hung. Plokta can also be used while trying
to figure out any unknown key sequence for a particular operation.
Someone going into `plokta mode' usually places both hands flat
on the keyboard and mashes them down, hoping for some useful
A slightly more directed form of plokta can often be seen in mail
messages or Usenet articles from new users -- the text might end
as the user vainly tries to find the right exit sequence, with the
incorrect tries piling up at the end of the message....
--The Jargon File version 4.3.1, ed. ESR, autonoded by rescdsk.