spoiler

1. A remark which reveals important plot elements

from books or movies, thus denying the reader (of the article)

the proper suspense when reading the book or watching the

movie.

2. Any remark which telegraphs the solution of a problem or

puzzle, thus denying the reader the pleasure of working out

the correct answer (see also interesting). Either sense

readily forms compounds like "total spoiler", "quasi-spoiler"

and even "pseudo-spoiler".

By convention, Usenet news articles which are spoilers in

either sense should contain the word "spoiler" in the Subject:

line, or guarantee via various tricks that the answer appears

only after several screens-full of warning, or conceal the

sensitive information via rot13, or some combination of

these techniques.

[Jargon File]

(1995-01-18)