What Does SplatF Mean?

F is the easy part: That’s for Frommer, my last name.

Splat refers to the key on a Mac keyboard that’s officially called the Command key.

Some old-school Mac nerds — my father included — call it the “splat” key, because the symbol sort of looks like something that went “splat.” So that’s what I’ve been calling it since the early 90s.

In most Mac apps today, the Splat-F key combination is the shortcut for “Find,” and typically brings up a search box. If you want to get philosophical, perhaps that’s the work I’m trying to do for you here.

The symbol itself, also known as Saint John’s Arms or the “place of interest sign,” has been around for centuries, and is apparently big in Northern Europe.

(If you’re curious, the site’s name is pronounced “splat eff”.)

Related: About SplatF