Dictionary

crackberry en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Etymology

Blend of crack + BlackBerry, suggesting the addictive nature of crack cocaine. Compare heroinware.

Meanings

1. (slang) A BlackBerry, a handheld device considered addictive for its networking capability.
   • It is a goal that[…]I have been obsessing over, and emailing myself on my crackberry so I don’t forget ideas, and one that I bother my friends with constantly. 2006 May, Thomas Louis Ampeliotis, “Foundation of a Perfectionist” (chapter 1), in Pursuit of a Perfectionist, Lincoln, Nebraska: iUniverse, →ISBN, Keeping on Track, page 9:
   • Phone and handheld computer US$449 www.blackberry.com The corporate gold standard, once called "crackberries" in Silicon Valley because executives seemed addicted to them. 2003 December 1, Greg Brown, Latin Trade, Freedom Magazines, Inc. BlackBerry 7210
   • […]Roberts seemed driven to distraction by whatever was on the screen of his "CrackBerry"—which is what the infernal devices were nicknamed by their hopelessly addicted users. 2006 February, Bill Sammon, “BlackBerry Blues”, in Strategery: How George W. Bush Is Defeating Terrorists, Outwitting Democrats, and Confounding the Mainstream Media, Washington, D.C.: Regnery Publishing, →ISBN, page 1:
   • The Blackberry^([sic]) mobile office typifies this workstyle with[…]levels of stress generated in the individual such that productivity may be quantitative but not necessarily qualitative (the “Crackberry” syndrome). 2005 October, Paul Cunningham, M. Cunningham, editors, Innovation and the Knowledge Economy: Issues, Applications, Case Studies, IOS Press, page 1368:
   • My co-workers and especially my wife were repulsed by the “CrackBerry,” and my compulsive grasping at it, like Gollum with his ring. 2023 July 7, Ian Bogost, “What Did People Do Before Smartphones?”, in The Atlantic, Washington, D.C., archived from the original on 07 Jul 2023:
   • […]many people call theirs a CrackBerry. This thing is absolutely addictive! This unit can websurf, send/receive email,[…] 2001 May 15, Steve Pyles, “Blackberry^([sic]) Service around WDW”, in rec.arts.disney.parks (Usenet), message-ID <S3PSc5WZOHkJ>:
   • 2005 October 1, Waxer, Cindy, Chief Executive (U.S.), Chief Executive Publishing Today, over 50,000 organizations and 3 million subscribers count on BlackBerry, dubbed 'crackberry' for its addictiveness, to receive and deliver email messages on the spot.
   • 2005 March 1, Ron Seigneur (interviewee), Rick Telberg (author), Journal of Accountancy, American Institute of CPA's I just moved to a Treo 600 to replace my old cell phone and my Palm Pilot. Not quite a "Crackberry," but I just cannot stand those who have to check e-mail every five minutes.

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