Fat Finger

Definitions

1. A mistaken keystroke or input error, often with outsized consequences. In engineering slang, blaming a fat finger is shorthand for acknowledging human error without pretending the system should not also have better safeguards.

   In plain English: A typo or accidental input mistake, especially one with consequences.

   Example: "The production flag flipped because of a fat finger, which is exactly why the team later added confirmation prompts and staged rollout controls."

Related Terms

• Back of the Napkin
• Blame Game
• Blazing
• Bog Standard
• Boilerplate Slang
• Boot
• Garbarge Collection Pause
• Loop Hole