< recreation > (From the children's TV program "Sesame Street") Any of a family of early (1970s) hacks reported on TOPS-10 , ITS , Multics and elsewhere that would lock up either the victim's terminal (on a time-sharing machine) or the console (on a batch mainframe ), repeatedly demanding "I WANT A COOKIE". The required responses ranged in complexity from "COOKIE" through "HAVE A COOKIE" and upward.
See also wabbit .
[ Jargon File ]
(1997-02-12)