The Ministry of Code Smells

Lyrics by Doug Rosenberg
Copyright © 2002 ICONIX Software Engineering, Inc.

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Picture this scene from monty python's flying circus. John cleese sits at a desk, in a suit. the desk has a sign on it that says "Ministry of Code Smells". in walk a pair of programmers, Eric Idle and (dressed as a woman) Terry Jones. They are carrying a computer printout.

Cleese:: Good Morning. We'd like to smell your code, please.

Idle:: Good Morning, Sir. Yes, we've got it right here.

Jones:: (whispers -- in the high-pitched falsetto voice): Did you use deodorant on the code this morning, dear?

Idle:: (whispers) Yes, of course I did.

Cleese:: Well I'll be the judge of that. Let's have it.

Idle:: (hands over the code) Yes, sir.

Cleese:: (takes a whiff). No, that won't do at all. (sniffs again) No, that will never do. That is definitely a "code smell".

Idle:: But I washed it twice, and then used deodorant.

Cleese:: No, sorry, you'll just have to refactor that.

Jones:: (shreeks) BUT I WORKED ALL DAY ON THAT CODE.

Cleese:: Now look here madam...

Jones:: (gets up and pounds purse on Cleese's desk) NO, NO, NO, NOOOOOO