PEBKAC, short for problem exists between keyboard and chair, is a long-running piece of IT support slang for a fault caused by the user rather than the hardware or software. Support staff have used it for years as a discreet shorthand, and it later spread through forums, workplace chats and meme pages as a lighthearted way to call out everyday computer mistakes. Its staying power comes from its universality: almost everyone has blamed a device for an error that turned out to be a loose cable, a missed switch or a mistyped password.