"The first 90% of the code accounts for the first 90% of the development time. The remaining 10% of the code accounts for the other 90% of the development time". An aphorism attributed to Tom Cargill of Bell Labs, and popularised by Jon Bentley' s September 1985 "Bumper-StICker Computer Science" column in "CommunICations of the ACM". It was there called the "Rule of Credibility", a name whICh seems not to have stuck. [Jargon File] (1995-07-14)