Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
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noun
A man who is effeminate or who lacks some putative masculine virtue.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: idiomatic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
In computer programming circles, a person far removed from practice and concerned only with academic matters, unwilling to "get their hands dirty".
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: humorous, idiomatic
Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
The idiom derives from the book on stereotypes about masculinity, Real Men Don't Eat Quiche, by Bruce Feirstein, published in 1982. The computer circle version was popularised by a 1983 article Real Programmers Don't Use Pascal, that specifically accuses the creator of the Pascal language, Niklaus Wirth, of being a "quiche eater" due to the nature of Pascal.
