Kludge

Amazed that I haven't come across this word before, given how much of my life I've devoted to kludging.

From Wikipedia:

A kludge (or kluge) is a workaround, an ad hoc engineering solution, a clumsy or inelegant solution to a problem, typically using parts that are cobbled together.

Kludges are particularly widespread in computer programs, where processing speed is such that they may not make a big difference in performance.

I admit it, I kludge a lot.

I do it as a proposal writer, slapping boilerplate text together in a fashion that answers RFPs and RFQs as quickly as possible.

I've done it as a songwriter, by randoming choosing particular keys and chord constructs, and resurrecting some old, angry high school poetry or mushing a friend's lyrics to fit. Examples include "My Mom's A Bitch," and our ever-popular family ditty, "Pretty Kitty."

I do it as a dad, with magical five-minute meals that look very, um, interesting yet still touch on all the major food groups. If the kids eat at least half and a little bit of everything on their plate, I figure I kludged it pretty good.

Probably the only time I don't kludge when attempting fiction -- but even then, I seem to be digging into wells inside my head for some memory, artifact, or sensation, and then figuring out how to make things work. In fact, my novel, if it's ever complete, will be something of an homage to kludging, since it's coming out in bits and pieces that I have yet to completely assemble. Kind of like creating a human body by starting with the heart, a couple of fingers, an eyelash, some teeth, and a nut.

I'm fairly certain I've heard the word "kludge" before, but can't be totally sure. It's the sort of word in which one instantly discerns its meaning -- which makes it difficult to remember when one first heard it.

Yesterday, when two different co-workers used it, it made me stop and think.

Kludge. K-l-u-d-g-e.

Mmmmmm.