Xyzzy has actually been implemented as an undocumented no-op command on several OSes; in Data General's AOS/VS, for example, it would typically respond "Nothing happens", just as ADVENT did if the magic was invoked at the wrong spot or before a player had performed the action that enabled the word. In more recent 32-bit versions, by the way, AOS/VS responds "Twice as much happens".
Early versions of the popular `minesweeper' game under Microsoft
Windows had a cheat mode triggered by the command
`xyzzy
The following passage from "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank
Baum, suggesting a possible pre-ADVENT origin, has recently come to
light:
"Ziz-zy, zuz-zy, zik!" said Dorothy, who was now standing on both
feet. This ended the saying of the charm, and they heard a great
chattering and flapping of wings, as the band of Winged Monkeys flew up
to them.
The text can be viewed at Project Gutenberg
(ftp://metalab.unc.edu/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext93/wizoz10.txt).
Another possible pre-ADVENT origin is discussed at the XYZZY page
(http://people.delphi.com/rickadams/adventure/c_xyzzy.html).
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Jargon File Version 4.3.1, 29 JUN 2001 =
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