control-C

In computing, control-C is a control character in ASCII code, also known as the end of text (ETX) character. It is generated by pressing the C key while holding down the Ctrl key on a computer keyboard.In many GUI environments, control-C can be used to copy highlighted text to the clipboard.Control-C was one of a handful of keyboard sequences chosen by the program designers at Xerox PARC to control text editing. Presumably these particular keystrokes were chosen because of their location on a standard QWERTY keyboard, since the Z (undo), X (cut), C (copy), and V (paste) keys are located together at the left end of the bottom row of the standard QWERTY keyboard. Such usage continues today in many GUI environments (including Microsoft Windows and Mac OS) and word processing software.
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<character> (Or ETX, End of Text) The ASCII character with code 3.
Control-C is the interrupt character used on many operating systems, including Unix and MS-DOS to abort a running program.
Among BSD Unix hackers, the canonical humorous response to "Give me a break!" is "Control C".
[Jargon File]
(1995-03-16)