Overheard: what is the fish?

Physics 8A, Fall Semester 2006
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Overheard during an in-class activity (rotational kinematics with a constant angular acceleration):

Student 1: "What is the 'fish?'"
Student 2: "What?"
Student 1: "This 'fish'...what is it?"
Student 2: "Oh...that's alpha."
Student 1: "Okay... What is 'alpha?'"

The conversation is somewhat embellished, of course.