Alan Bauerschmidt wrote: > > Chad is a perfectly fine American term. It is in Webster's Ninth and Random > House Second Editions. The latter indicates its origin as a computer term > in the 1945-1950 period. > > Shard, or sherd, or the German Scherbe is not synonomous As things shape up, you are correct, of course. Since the word did not exist apparently before the Hollerith card, where do you suppose the first user went for inspiration to coin this new and useful term? Thanks for your gentle reproach. Stan from Livonia, MI