An asterisk ("*", see also splat, ASCII). Notionally, from "I regret that I have only one asterisk for my country!" ("life to give" -> "ass to risk" -> "asterisk"), a misquote of the famous remark uttered by Nathan Hale just before he was hanged.Hale was a (failed) spy for the rebels in the American War of Independence.[Jargon File](1996-09-22)