dirtball

dirtball

(XEROX PARC) A small, perhaps struggling outsider; not inthe major or even the minor leagues. For example, "Xerox isnot a dirtball company".

Outsiders often observe in the PARC culture an institutionalarrogance which usage of this term exemplifies. Thebrilliance and scope of PARC's contributions to computerscience have been such that this superior attitude is not muchresented. - ESR