buttonology

button +‎ -ology. In the sense of pedantic systematization, a calque of Swedish knappologi with the same literal meaning.

• IPA^(key): /ˈbʌtənɒləd͡ʒi/

  Rhymes: -ɒlədʒi

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  (file)

buttonology (uncountable)

1. The study of buttons (clothing fasteners and badges).
   • 1945, Chain Store Age - Volume 21, Issues 1-6, page 18:

     We're masters "buttonology" — of experimentation, of keeping pace with far-sighted fashion trends — are climaxed in a new Spring line which we present to the trade as worthy of representing our Golden Jubilee.

   • 1949, Lillian Smith Albert, The Complete Button Book:

     Happily this “button book of button books” by Lillian Smith Albert and Kathryn Kent provides a convenient guide through the maze of buttonology.

   • 1954 February, Adolph B. Benson, “Humor and Satire in Strindberg's 'The Island of Paradise'”, in Scandinavian Studies, volume 26, number 1, →JSTOR, pages 17-24:

     He was, of course, immediately appointed Professor of buttonology.

   • 1986, Y. Oren, Max Knight, The Imaginary Number: Short Stories, page 108:

     So after all this , it is no wonder that following the discovery of the non-missing button on his pants, Golan came to an important conclusion : Since the inner push toward Buttonology began with the loss of a button during his childhood , Fate had returned that button to him in his old age.

2. (derogatory) An exaggerated and pointlessly pedantic systematization, especially of something trivial.
   • 1999, Current Swedish Archaeology - Volume 7, page 191:

     In the short story De lycksaliges ö from 1890 there is a satire on the Historical Museum in Stockholm , where archaeology with its typological method is characterized as a “ buttonology " ( Strindberg 1890 : 116ff ; cf. Welinder 1994 : 297ff , 320ff )

   • 2014, Knut Kolsrud, “Ethnology of the Present”, in Sigurd Erixon, The Possibilities of Charting Modern Life:

     From this point of view ethnology carries on, as do also, of course, all other disciplines, "buttonology" (knappologi).

   • 2015, Fredrik Sjöberg, chapter 5, in The Fly Trap‎:

     The Archipelago of Buttonology. It was August Strindberg who coined the term "buttonology." He was angry and needed a taunt.

3. (informal) The basic training required to start using a machine or piece of software: what the components of the interface are, what they do, and how to accomplish basic tasks.
   • 1924, The American Annual of Photography, volume 39-40:

     But if he does know his buttonology, there is much pleasure and profit for him in amateur picture-taking.

   • 1996, Cheryl Farr, High-tech Practice: Thriving in Dentistry's Computer Age, page 48:

     The bottom line is that high - technology training goes far beyond “ buttonology , " or learning how to push the buttons on the computer .

   • 2003, Karen Bolderman, Putting Your Patients on the Pump, page 4:

     The pump wearer must learn the technical “ buttonology" of their specific pump and learn how to fill the insulin cartridge / reservoir , change the tubing and infusion set , and calculate appropriate insulin bolus doses.

   • 2016, "Buttonology" in AVweb:

     So how does one avoid the distraction of ATC’s bad timing when flying in the system? Well, practicing your buttonology skills in your primary aircraft is a good start.

   • 2017 April 11, Tom Argles, “Teaching practical science online using GIS: a cautionary tale of coping strategies”, in Journal of Geography in Higher Education, →DOI:

     The unenviable result was that the students followed a workflow in the software with no time to develop a deeper understanding of what they were doing or, indeed, why – a classic example of the ‘buttonology’ approach where mastering the software dominates the cognitive load.

4. (US, military, slang) User interface
   • 2007 April 27, Carlo Munoz, “First round now under way”, in Inside the Air Force, volume 18, number 17, →JSTOR, pages 4-5:

     “The [controller] that will go in theater . . . is just a tad bigger . . . but all the same buttonology, but it’s ruggedized for the environment,” Raulerson said.

   • 2013 January 3, Jen Judson, “Officials:: No Loss Of Capability For DCGS-A Without Top-Secret Enclave”, in Inside the Pentagon, volume 29, number 1, →JSTOR, page 11:

     Fielding the newer version of the system with or without the enclave is important to units slated to have DCGS-A because the newer version “is a lot more user friendly for our analysts, as it’s more in tune with Windows-type applications,” he said at the roundtable. What’s more, it features what he called new “buttonology” to which users are more receptive.

   • 2016, Steve V. Hatch, Computerized Engine Controls, page 191:

     Any other adjustment concerns will pertain to the unique buttonology of the oscilloscope and will be covered in the owner's manual that comes with the scope when you purchase it.

• Scandinavian authors writing in English use buttonology in the second sense, as a literal translation of knappologi.

• button
• stamp collecting (rough synonym of derogatory sense)