zorch

/zorch/

1. [TMRC] v. To attack with an inverse heat sink.

2. [TMRC] v. To travel, with v approaching c [that is, with velocity approaching lightspeed —ESR].

3. [MIT] v. To propel something very quickly. "The new comm software is very fast; it really zorches files through the network."

4. [MIT] n. Influence. Brownie points. Good karma. The intangible and fuzzy currency in which favors are measured. "I'd rather not ask him for that just yet; I think I've used up my quota of zorch with him for the week."

5. [MIT] n. Energy, drive, or ability. "I think I'll punt that change for now; I've been up for 30 hours and I've run out of zorch."

6. [MIT] v. To flunk an exam or course.

A track called Zorch was the B-side of a single called Captain Hideous, released by novelty artist Nervous Norvous in 1955. Norvous was heavily influemced by a radio comedian named Red Blanchard; the word "zorch" appears to have been coined on Blanchard's show in the early 1950s. The word itself had no meaning, but there where compounds using it that did — "zorch cow", for example, was a variant of the Chicago-area slang "black cow" for a root beer float.