Word of the Day - Kludge

[StarSong]

Kludge - noun (also spelled kluge)

1. A system, especially a computer system, that is constituted of poorly matched elements or of elements originally intended for other applications.
2. A clumsy or inelegant solution to a problem.

A kludge or kluge is a workaround or makeshift solution that is clumsy, inelegant, inefficient, difficult to extend, and hard to maintain. Its only benefit is that it rapidly solves an important problem using available resources. A famous example is the improvised CO2 scrubber that kept the astronauts alive on Apollo 13.

Everyone I know has fashioned numerous household kludges, with most "fixes" involving duct tape.

Edited to add, kludge is pronounced so it rhymes with sludge.