platinum-iridium

standard A standard, against which all others of the same

category are measured. Usage: silly.

The notion is that one of whatever it is has actually been

cast in platinum-iridium alloy and placed in the vault beside

the Standard Kilogram at the International Bureau of Weights

and Measures near Paris, as the bar defining the standard

metre once was.

"This garbage collection algorithm has been tested against

the platinum-iridium cons cell in Paris."

Compare golden.

[Jargon File]

(1997-02-20)