TECHIE:
Fan with a major interest in technology, especially do it yourself technology. The word is sometimes heard outside SF fandom, in computer culture and maybe other places ("...I'm a peeping tom techie with x ray eyes," Timbuk3). Some have opined that mundanes use the term as a pejorative. Also used for those who run the 'tech' for a convention - sound and lighting systems, film and video programmes, etc.(CC)

TIMEBINDERS:
A loosely knit organization of fans interested in promoting the preservation of old fanzines and the promotion of fanhistorical research. (rb)

TIMEBINDING:
The human trait involved in the passing on accumulated knowledge to new generations, which in turn makes it unnecessary for each new generation to "reinvent" the wheel and allows that generation to use the wheel as stepping stone to invent something else. Robert A. Heinlein, in an early GoH speech, claimed fans did this particularly well. This listing of fan terms is an exercise in timebinding. (rb)

ToC:
Table of Contents.

TOWER OF BHEER CANS TO THE MOON:
Late 1950's Berkeley Fandom's (Terry Carr, Pete Graham, Dave Rike, Ron Ellik, Bob Stewart and "Carl Brandon" [a hoax fan]) contribution to the space race. While the Russian sputnik went over like a lead balloon and the U.S. Vanguard rocket fell on its face, Terry Carr used trigonometry he'd learned in a college astronomy course to determine the distance to the moon. Getting a parallax view of the moon from two different vantage points in Carl Brandon's back yard, Terry was able to determine that the moon was about 20 feet in diameter and approximately 150 feet above ground level. He appealed to his fellow Berkeley fan's love of science fiction to get them to make a contribution to the space race by using all the "profits" they would have made from the various fanzines they published to buy six packs of bheer. These they drank, quite selflessly, so as to use the empties to create a Tower to the Moon in Carl's back yard. As the tower rose, various plans were suggested-- harpooning the moon with a church key, or even climbing the Tower to bring the moon back down to the surface of the Earth where it would be kept forever safe from the hands of the ghodless commies who were trying to grab it before we could. Occasionally, partying fans at conventions will construct such a Tower out of bheercans in Terry Carr's memory. At Magicon this was attempted, on a night when there was no moon, although Art Widner was heard to intone, "If you build it, it will come." (rb)

TRACK:
A sequence of related programming events held sequentially, usually in the same room. The term is used when such "tracks" occur in parallel with one or more other such sequences, which are then known as alternate tracks. (KR)

TREKDOM:
TREKKERS:
TREKKIES:
"Trekdom" is short-hand for Star Trek Fandom, which is separate from mainstream sf fandom while having a degree of overlap. "Trekkers" is the polite way to refer to these people; "Trekkies" has derogatory overtones. It has been remarked that some of the most devastating holy wars have been between, not different religions, but different sects of the same religion; there is something of this here. Many sf readers consider Star Trek to be mediocre or even "dumbed down" sf. (rb)

TRIP REPORT:
Description of a trip undertaken by a fan (often in the company of other fans) printed on-line or in a zine. (KR)

TRUFAAN:
TRUFAN:
1. Tongue in cheek term for a "real" fan. Anyone who sincerely believes they are a trufan is a trufan, providing they make the declaration with a sense of fun. 2 Also apparently believed by younger generations of fans to be used by some older generation fans to refer to the members of their particular enclave of fandom. 3. Term of admiration for a particularly active fan.

TRUFANDOM:
TRUFANNISH:
Trufandom is the geographical place inside your head where sf fandom takes place; trufannish is the adjective which describes what Trufans do.

TUCKERIZED:
Bob "Wilson" Tucker, who is generally credited with helping fandom to acquire a sense of humor in the early days of the microcosm, has written and published professional mystery and sf novels in which he uses the real names of fan friends for characters that bear no resemblance to the real fan. If someone does this to you, then you will have been "Tuckerized". (rb)

TWONK'S DISEASE:
A dread affliction, also known as falling of the armpits. (rb)

TYPER:
Short for "typewriter," an archaic device used by olden-time fen (and still reportedly in use in some quarters even today) for writing everything from letters to fanzines. Today's computer users would recognize the basic primitive keyboard as being the same configuration as that used on a word processor, except that the typer's lacked function keys, numbered key pad, most alternate purpose keys and programming functions, and the only purpose of the "shift" key was to change from lower to upper case. Typers print each keystroke directly onto paper as it is typed, making revision difficult. But their "advantage" was that they were excellent "mates" to the primitive mimeographs and spirit duplicators and could strike a mimeograph stencil (or Ditto master) with sufficient force to make the kind of impression needed to cause the stencil or master to work properly. Rumor has it that some of the very earliest typers were in no way electrically powered but rather were operated solely by means of manual force. It is possible, however, that this may be one of the "fanciful tales" for which old-time fans were known. (rb)

VAPA:
The Vanguard Amateur Press Association. Fandom's second apa, a spin-off from FAPA that had such people as James Blish, Judy Merrill, damon knight &c. as members. (rb)

WAHF/WAHF'D:
An acronym for We Also Heard From--a column, usually at the end of a lettercolumn, in which several letters have been published, acknowledging receipt and perhaps quoting a few lines from other letters received. Someone whose letter has been WAHF'd has had their letter put in the WAHF column rather than the letter column. (rb)

WAITING LIST:
("WL"):
Unlike the open-ended mundane version, most fannish apas have a limited number of members. When that number is reached and the apa is not invitational, people who wish to join are kept, in the order of their application, on a "waiting list" in the Official Organ of the APA. When a member drops out or is dropped--resignation, failure to meet activity requirements, failure to pay dues--the first person on the waiting list is invited to join. (rb)

WESTERCON:
One of the oldest and largest regional conventions. Has been held over the years at various West Coast locations by various fan groups but is a service mark of LASFS. (rb)

WKF:
Well Known Fan. Someone who has been around fandom in a conspicuous way (in fanzines or at conventions) for a while so that his/her name is well known by other fans. (Archaic) (rb)

WOFAN:
A female fan (obsolete).

WORLDCON:
The one, the only, annual world science fiction convention at which the Hugos are given out. As a service mark "Worldcon" should always be capitalized. Probably. (rb)

WSFS:
The World Science Fiction Society. The unincorporated literary society whose members are made up of Worldcon attendees, who choose the Hugo Awards every year and select the site for the World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) three years in advance. (rb)

WYLASOC(M)WTC?:
apa term, "Would You Like A Saucer Of Cream (Milk) With That Comment?", usually in response to a "catty" comment. (KR)

YMMV:
Your Mileage May Vary.

ZINE:
Fanzine. In more current usage, a mundane fanzine that comes out of the FACTSHEET FIVE phenomenon and hence distinct from a fanzine, which comes from the sf microcosm. (rb)