software

to debug or solve a problem by explaining it line by line, out loud, to an inanimate object such as a rubber duck

a seemingly pointless chain of tasks that must each be completed before the original task can be done

spending a disproportionate amount of time on trivial details while ignoring the important parts of a problem

using your own product internally, before customers do, to test and improve it

a hasty, temporary solution that patches a symptom without addressing the root cause

a quick, shallow test that checks whether a system's most basic functions work at all

an early warning sign, or a small test group, that reveals a danger or failure before it affects everyone

done rapidly and roughly, with little care for quality or polish

an unusual or extreme scenario that lies outside the normal inputs, often where software fails

the default, well-supported, happy-path way of using a system, opposed to exotic configurations

the uncontrolled growth of new features until a product becomes bloated and hard to use

the gradual expansion of a project's goals beyond its original scope