TAN

   [Usenet,  particularly  rec.arts.sf.written.robert-jordan] Abbrev. of
   `tangent',  as  in "off on a tangent", and synonym for {OT}. A number
   of  hacker-humor  synonyms  are  used  for  TAN  in  some newsgroups.
   Instances  such  as  BEIGE, OFF-WHITE, BROWNISH-GRAY, and LIGHT BROWN
   have  been  observed.  It  is generally understood on newsgroups with
   this  convention  that  any  color descriptor is a TAN synonym if (a)
   used  as the first word(s) of the topic of a Usenet post, (b) written
   in  ALL  CAPS,  and  (c)  followed  immediately  by  a  colon. Usage:
   "OFF-WHITE: 2000 Presidential candidates" on an SF newsgroup.

[glossary]
[Reference(s) to this entry by made by: {OT}]