1. < character > The tilde character.
2. (To make) a small or insignificant change. E.g. twiddling a program often fixes one bug and generates several new ones (see also shotgun debugging ). Bits are often twiddled. Twiddling a switch or knob implies much less sense of purpose than toggling or tweak ing it; see frobnicate . Bit twiddling connotes aimlessness, and at best doesn't specify what you're doing to the bit; to " toggle a bit" has a more specific meaning.
[ Jargon File ]
(1995-01-31)