The Jargon File (version 4.4.7, 29 Dec 2003):

one-banana problem
 n.

    At mainframe shops, where the computers have operators for routine
    administrivia, the programmers and hardware people tend to look down on the
    operators and claim that a trained monkey could do their job. It is
    frequently observed that the incentives that would be offered said monkeys
    can be used as a scale to describe the difficulty of a task. A one-banana
    problem is simple; hence, ?It's only a one-banana job at the most; what's
    taking them so long?? At IBM, folklore divides the world into one-, two-,
    and three-banana problems. Other cultures have different hierarchies and
    may divide them more finely; at ICL, for example, five grapes (a bunch)
    equals a banana. Their upper limit for the in-house sysapes is said to be
    two bananas and three grapes (another source claims it's three bananas and
    one grape, but observes ?However, this is subject to local variations,
    cosmic rays and ISO?). At a complication level any higher than that, one
    asks the manufacturers to send someone around to check things.

    See also Infinite-Monkey Theorem.


The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (30 December 2018):

one-banana problem

    At computer installations where the computers
   have operators for routine administrivia, the programmers and
   hardware people tend to look down on the operators and claim
   that a trained monkey could do their job.  The incentives
   offered to said monkeys would then describe the difficulty of
   a task.  A one-banana problem is simple; hence, "It's only a
   one-banana job at the most; what's taking them so long?"

   See also Infinite-Monkey Theorem.

   [Jargon File]

   (2010-03-20)