Choke

1. To reject input, often ungracefully.

"NULs make System V's "lpr(1)" choke."

"I tried building an Emacs binary to use X, but "cpp(1)" choked on all those "#define"s."

See barf, gag.

2. [MIT] More generally, to fail at any endeavor, but with some flair or bravado; the popular definition is "to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory."

[Jargon File]

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