But for that one desperate hour, whateverthefuckholder was the most honest line of code in the repository. So, go ahead. Let your freak flag fly. Name your temporary variable something that expresses the full emotional weight of your current struggle.
Programming, Philosophy, Burnout
let whateverthefuckholder = []; I’m here to argue that whateverthefuckholder isn't a sign of a bad programmer. It is a sign of a sane one. We are taught that code is communication. That customerId is better than x . That specificity is kindness to your future self. And that is true—until it isn't. whateverthefuckholder
You realize that the function you are writing doesn’t actually do anything specific yet. It just holds space. It is a bucket for data that may or may not arrive, in a shape that may or may not be valid, from an API that may or may not be maintained by someone who quit six months ago. But for that one desperate hour, whateverthefuckholder was
So, you type it. The forbidden name.
April 14, 2026