"Mu" is the correct answer to the classic trick question "Have you stopped beating your wife yet?". Assuming that you have no wife or you have never beaten your wife, the answer "yes" is wrong because it implies that you used to beat your wife and then stopped, but "no" is worse because it suggests that you have one and are still beating her. According to various Discordians and Douglas Hofstadter the correct answer is usually "mu", a Japanese word alleged to mean "Your question cannot be answered because it depends on incorrect assumptions".
Hackers tend to be sensitive to logical inadequacies in language, and many have adopted this suggestion with enthusiasm. The word "mu" is actually from Chinese, meaning "nothing"; it is used in mainstream Japanese in that sense, but native speakers do not recognise the Discordian question-denying use.
Thanks to Thrakem for the source of this definition.
A monk asked Joshu, "Does a dog have the Buddha nature?"
Joshu retorted, "Mu!"
Mu is another way of saying moo. It is a subsitution of saying any word or phrase. There can be an almost complete conversation of just this word.
Bob: So I hear you think Kristina is hot?
// Jim Shakes head as to say no.
Jim: Mu!
// Bob makes a look as to say "Why not?"
Bob: Mu?
// Jim makes a mater-of-factly look.
Jim: Mu!
// Bob makes an understanding look.
Bob: Mu.
The music board on 4chan. Most of the music discussed on /mu/ is avant garde-experimental-noise-indie bullshit that nobody's heard about. /mu/ users (often called /mu/tants) will flame anybody who likes anything else. Although there is a modest community of metalheads on /mu/ they are generally disliked by the obscure taste flaunting majority that inhabits the board. Basically, it is a big contest to see who listens to the most obscure bands. The less people have heard of the music you listen to, the better.
I went to /mu/ the other day. Never before have I seen so many pretentious tight-wads in a single board.
