GIGO

GIGO

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Pronunciation

/ˈɡaɪɡoʊ/

• ˈɡaɪ (guy): The first syllable consists of the velar voiced plosive /g/, followed by the diphthong /aɪ/.

• ɡoʊ: The second syllable consists of the velar voiced plosive /g/, followed by the diphthong /oʊ/.

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Word Form Variations

• Singular Noun: GIGO

• Plural Noun: GIGO

• Adjective: GIGO (used to describe a situation or principle)

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Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms

Noun

1. GIGO: An acronym for "garbage in, garbage out," representing the principle that the quality of a system's output is directly dependent on the quality of its input. This term is most often used in the context of computer science and data processing.

• Synonyms: n/a

• Antonyms: n/a

Adjective

1. GIGO: A term used to describe a system or process that is prone to producing flawed or nonsensical results because the data or information being used to generate them is of poor quality.

• Synonyms: flawed, defective, erroneous

• Antonyms: robust, reliable, sound

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Examples of Use

Books

• "The first lesson budding data scientists learn is probably 'garbage in, garbage out' (GIGO). If we put bad information into our computer models, we will get bad information out of them. Expect controversy, bad insights, poor decisions, and bad policy to follow." (Ron Ozminkowski, Towards Data Science, November 2021)

• The author of The Art of Creative Thinking references GIGO in the context of human decision-making, arguing that if a person's thinking is based on faulty, incomplete, or imprecise data, the resulting decisions will be similarly flawed (Adair, 2009).

Newspapers

• A Times Daily article from November 1957 reported on the working vocabulary of military mathematicians, noting that "BIZMAC UNIVAC, GARBAGE IN-GARBAGE OUT" were new expressions. It explained that computers cannot think for themselves and that "sloppily programmed" inputs lead to incorrect outputs (Atlas Obscura, March 2016).

• In 1963, an Associated Press reporter visiting an IRS processing facility used the phrase GIGO to describe how a data entry error could lead to an incorrect tax refund (Atlas Obscura, March 2016).

Online Publications

• A Profisee blog post discusses how GIGO has become a significant problem in the context of digital transformation and generative AI. It cites examples like using inaccurate data to estimate demand, leading to missed sales opportunities, or sharing sensitive information with the wrong people due to incomplete data (Profisee, October 2023).

• In the realm of UX research, the GIGO concept is applied to highlight the importance of proper sampling and question design. The article argues that a researcher will get "garbage out" if they use the wrong sample or ask biased questions, resulting in flawed conclusions (Alok Kumar, Medium, October 2018).

Entertainment Mediums

• The concept is extended beyond computers to personal well-being and relationships. A blog post on Relationships Relearned uses GIGO to explain how poor "input" like bad sleep or unhealthy food can lead to "garbage output," such as being short-tempered or unproductive. It also applies the principle to relationships, suggesting that a lack of effort (input) from one partner can lead to a deteriorating relationship (output) (Relationships Relearned, July 2023).

General Public Discourse

• The term GIGO is used in public discussions about the dangers of using biased or low-quality data to train artificial intelligence models. The concern is that if the training data is "garbage," the resulting AI will have inherent biases or produce inaccurate, misleading, or even dangerous outputs (Dickson Lukose, Medium, February 2025).

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10 Famous Quotes Using GIGO

1. "Your mind operates on the famous computing principle of GIGO - garbage in, garbage out." (Thibaut Meurisse, Master Your Emotions)

2. "Garbage in, garbage out. Or rather more felicitously: the tree of nonsense is watered with error, and from its branches swing the pumpkins of disaster." (Nick Harkaway, The Gone-Away World)

3. "The Marine Accident Investigation Branch comes to a similar conclusion: A loading computer is an effective and useful tool for the safe running of a ship. However, its output can only be as accurate as the information entered into it." (Wikipedia)

4. "The first lesson budding data scientists learn is probably 'garbage in, garbage out' (GIGO)." (Ron Ozminkowski, Towards Data Science, November 2021)

5. "GIGO is a concept in computer science which also applies to the brain: the quality of output is determined by the quality of input." (Sope Agbelusi)

6. "Artificial so-called intelligence is hardly immune to a dynamic that computer experts long ago dubbed "GIGO" — garbage in, garbage out." (Dictionary.com)

7. "For any meta-analysis, however, the reliability of results is largely governed by the 'GIGO' principle: garbage in, garbage out." (Nature)

8. "A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say and do flows from what is in your heart... The concept of GIGO is even more powerful and telling in our spiritual life." (Bob Roane, Words of Hope, January 2021)

9. "There's a great computer industry term for this: GIGO—Garbage In, Garbage Out." (Time)

10. "The author of The Art of Creative Thinking references GIGO in the context of human decision-making, arguing that if a person's thinking is based on faulty, incomplete, or imprecise data, the resulting decisions will be similarly flawed." (Adair, 2009)

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Etymology

The etymology of "GIGO" is straightforward as it's an acronym, not a word that evolved over time. It stands for "Garbage In, Garbage Out."

The phrase originated in the early days of computing, likely in the 1950s or 1960s. It was a common, informal saying among programmers and computer operators. They used it as a simple, memorable way to express a fundamental principle of computer science: a computer can only produce useful and accurate results if it is given useful and accurate data to process. If you feed it "garbage" (flawed, incomplete, or incorrect data), it will inevitably produce "garbage" (flawed, incomplete, or incorrect output).

The earliest known published use of the phrase dates back to a Time magazine article in 1963, though it was certainly in use within the computing community before that. The term's meaning has remained consistent: it's a warning and a reminder that the quality of any system's output is directly dependent on the quality of its input.

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Phrases + Idioms Containing GIGO

• "The GIGO principle." This is the most common way to refer to the concept directly.

• "A classic case of GIGO." This phrase is used when a flawed outcome can be directly attributed to bad data input.

• "Don't fall victim to GIGO." This is a cautionary phrase used to remind people to be careful about the quality of their data.

• "Mindless data entry is a recipe for GIGO."

• "GIGO in, GIGO out." This is a slight variation on the original phrase, emphasizing the input-output relationship.

• "We are seeing a lot of GIGO in our latest AI model." This is a common use of the term as a noun to describe a problem.

• "This whole project is a GIGO situation."

• "It's a textbook example of GIGO."

• "The GIGO effect."

• "A GIGO problem."

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Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA

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Source Information

Definition of GIGO from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.

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