John-Reed Maffeo wrote:

> This naming thing still has be a bit confused. Squeak has somehow
> come to be associated with a mouse (an association which predates
> Disney?) and no one has yet offered a reliable explanation of how the
> name came to be applied to this particular dialect of Smalltalk.
>
> My current guess is that a squeak is what small talk sounds like in
> the real world when it is speeded up tremendously - I learned this
> in an episode of Startrek;)
>
> So is the elemental naming metaphor for Squeaky things mice and/or
> the rodentia in general or should it be some other grand concept?
>
> For the record, my wife finds it hard to believe that I am doing
> serious work when I am Squeaking.

My memory's a little hazy on this, I think the green book talks somewhat
about where the name "Smalltalk" comes from. That it was the original
groups to be a little less presumptious than the other popular computer
names of the time (Zeus, Apollo, etc). What's less audible and
presumptious than a little small talk? Just a wee little squeak. This has
been my theory, but SqueakCentral hasn't confirmed any of the rumors yet.
Dan, I hope you're writing all of these speculations down. They would
probably make an amusing adendum if a green book describing why the name
Squeak ever is to be. :)

--
Travis Griggs (a.k.a. Lord of the Fries)
Member, Fravenic Skreiggser Software Collective
Key Technology
P-P-P-Penguin  Power!