Term of the Moment
128-bit computing
Definition: Clippit
An early office assistant in Microsoft Office, which was commonly known as "Clippy" because help messages appeared alongside a paper clip icon. Clippit came from Microsoft Bob, an alternate user interface for Windows in the mid-1990s. There were other office assistant icons but none were as lampooned as Clippy, which appeared in other applications and even in films and other venues. See Microsoft Bob.
Clippit the Paper Clip
The paper clip metaphor of a human helper appeared along with various messages to help users or provide information. Mostly called "Clippy," variations of the Clippit graphic have appeared in all versions of Windows. (Image courtesy of Microsoft Corporation.)