name of List.nub function

[Brian Huffman]

Hi,

This is just for fun, really, but does anyone know how the nub function from 
the standard List module got its name? (It is the function that removes 
duplicates from a list, in case you are not familiar with it.) I looked up 
the word "nub" in the online Merriam-Webster dictionary (www.m-w.com) and it 
gives:

1 : KNOB, LUMP
2 : NUBBIN
3 : GIST, POINT 

Then the entry for "nubbin" says:

1 : something (as an ear of Indian corn) that is small for its kind, stunted, 
undeveloped, or imperfect
2 : a small usually projecting part or bit
3 : NUB 3 

So which sense of the word was the function named for? Could a list with stuff 
removed from it be considered "stunted"? Or maybe the set of unique elements 
from a list would be like the "main point" or "gist" of the list? If so, 
maybe "List.nub" could just as well have been named "List.gist" instead.

Anyway, I'd be interested to learn anything about the history and naming of 
"nub", or any other library functions, for that matter.

- Brian Huffman