(also mouse on drugs) A malady exhibited by the mouse pointing device
of some computers. The typical symptom is for the mouse cursor on the
screen to move in random directions and not in sync with the motion
of the actual mouse. Can usually be corrected by unplugging the mouse
and plugging it back again. Another recommended fix for optical mice
is to rotate your mouse pad 90 degrees.
At Xerox PARC in the 1970s, most people kept a can of copier cleaner
(isopropyl alcohol) at their desks. When the steel ball on the mouse
had picked up enough {cruft} to be unreliable, the mouse was doused
in cleaner, which restored it for a while. However, this operation
left a fine residue that accelerated the accumulation of cruft, so
the dousings became more and more frequent. Finally, the mouse was
declared `alcoholic' and sent to the clinic to be dried out in a CFC
ultrasonic bath.
[glossary]