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How the Command Key got its four leaf clover

apple_keyOk, so it's not really a clover (and I still call it The Apple Key). Folklore.org has the story of how the Finder's menu items (and the Apple keyboard's Command key for that matter) acquired its curious little symbol. It all started with a Steve Jobs rampage (go figure) and ended with a Swedish Campground. Check it out.

Incidentally, Folklore.org is a treasure trove of stories about the early days of Apple and the Macintosh. Spend five minutes reading and you'll be there for an hour.

[Via The Apple Blog]
 

Ok, so it's not really a clover (and I still call it The Apple Key). Folklore.org has the story of how the Finder's menu items (and the...
 

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dogfriend

It was Andy Hertzfeld, not Tannenbaum

December 05 2005 at 3:33 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
wd's brain

I remember always calling that key the pretzel key. This was when I first started making Mac games in 1991. :D

December 05 2005 at 2:33 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Oyvind

Didn't you read the comments on the story before posting about it? ;-) The symbol does not mean campground, it is used in the Nordic countries (Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Iceland) to indicate a general point of interest. Campground has a tent or cabin as signs. The origin of the sign is a castle seen from above, with a tower in each corner. So to annoy your Mac friends, tell them to hit the Castle key.

December 05 2005 at 1:48 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
janiero

Andy Tannenbaum has assembled many of the stories he's written for Folklore.org into a great book called Revolution in the Valley. I wrote a review about it here: http://hohle.net/scrap_post.php?post=164

December 05 2005 at 1:31 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Wry Cooter

I call it a cloverleaf, for those that would be confused if you called it an Apple.

December 05 2005 at 1:30 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Pete

Marja-Leena is partly correct, but the official term for the sign is that it indicates a sight. Check out Finnish Road Administration's document about road signs here: http://www.tiehallinto.fi/pls/wwwedit/docs/7729.PDF

December 05 2005 at 12:08 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Marja-Leena Rathje

Interesting! In Finland, this symbol is on signs along the highways to indicate a craft or artist studio/shop. Long ago it was a mark placed above entry doors to ward evil spirits from entering. Maybe this protects the Macs from viruses!??

December 05 2005 at 11:22 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Erick Erickson

Dude, I stil call it the "Open Apple key."

December 05 2005 at 11:17 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Tilted

Cool.

December 05 2005 at 11:09 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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