COBOL fingers /koh'bol fing'grz/ Reported from Sweden, a (hypothetical) disease one might get from coding in {COBOL}. The language requires code verbose beyond all reason (see {candygrammar}); thus it is alleged that programming too much in COBOL causes one's fingers to wear down to stubs by the endless typing. [{Jargon File}] (1994-12-22)