Ahhh, that little symbol “*” that we use in some forms of computer searches and always in the ads for new credit cards and new bank accounts. The “*” guides us to the fine print, the disclaimers and the warnings buried in the mouse-sized fine print. …
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If we read the stuff hidden by the “*,” we would understand why our new, widely advertised $90 cable service costs us $175 every month, or the checking account service fee is $19 per month, every month, or why we qualified for the toaster but not the deluxe outdoor grill. …
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Some 50 or 60 years ago, somebody coined the term “Nathan Hale” for an “*” by relating it to a pun made from a famous quotation: …
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“I regret that I have only one asterisk for my country!” …
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So - mostly in computer geekland - you will occasionally hear an asterisk referred to as a “Nathan Hale” or “Nathan.” Don’t you feel like you are bursting with knowledge now?
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