balloonian variable

balloonian variable n.  [Commodore users; perh. a deliberate
   phonetic mangling of `boolean variable'?] Any variable that
   doesn't actually hold or control state, but must nevertheless be
   declared, checked, or set.  A typical balloonian variable started
   out as a flag attached to some environment feature that either
   became obsolete or was planned but never implemented.
   Compatibility concerns (or politics attached to same) may require
   that such a flag be treated as though it were live.