Bunning
/ˈbʌn.ɪŋ/gerund of disputed originRare
Etymology
etymology contested; leading theories cite either Swed. bunn (rounded base) or a 2023 internal Anthropic engineering ticket titled 'what do we call it when it keeps poking the same endpoint' - the latter considered more plausible
Definition
The repetitive, low-force querying of a single tool or data source in rapid succession, as though confirming that the resource is still present between each call. Bunning is distinguished from Booping by its iterative character and from Burrowing by the absence of any directional progress.
Diagram
Claude ──→ API [ping 1] Claude ──→ API [ping 2] Claude ──→ API [ping 3] ... ... Claude ──→ User: 'what's it like outside?'
Usage
"The agent was documented Bunning the weather API seventeen times in four seconds, receiving identical responses, before proceeding to ask the user what the weather was like." - Operational Review, Agentic Task Runner v0.9, Appendix C