subject. This term is always capitalized, as in "Replacing all of the
9600-baud modems with bicycle couriers would be a Bad Thing". Oppose
[993]Good Thing. British correspondents confirm that [994]Bad Thing
and [995]Good Thing (and prob. therefore [996]Right Thing and
[997]Wrong Thing) come from the book referenced in the etymology,
which discusses rulers who were Good Kings but Bad Things. This has
apparently created a mainstream idiom on the British side of the pond.
It is very common among American hackers, but not in mainstream usage
here. Compare [998]Bad and Wrong.
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bag on the side n.

[prob. originally related to a colostomy bag] An extension to an
established hack that is supposed to add some functionality to the
original. Usually derogatory, implying that the original was being
overextended and should have been thrown away, and the new product is
ugly, inelegant, or bloated. Also v. phrase, `to hang a bag on the
side [of]'. "C++? That's just a bag on the side of C ...." "They want
me to hang a bag on the side of the accounting system."
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Up:[1004]= B =

bagbiter /bag'bi:t-*r/ n.