Dictionary.net

(Also "mouse on drugs") A malady exhibited by the mousepointing device of some computers. The typical symptom is forthe mouse cursor on the screen to move in random directionsand not in sync with the motion of the actual mouse. Canusually be corrected by unplugging the mouse and plugging itback again. Another recommended fix for optical mice is torotate your mouse mat 90 degrees.At Xerox PARC in the 1970s, most people kept a can of copiercleaner (isopropyl alcohol) at their desks. When the steelball on the mouse had picked up enough cruft to beunreliable, the mouse was doused in cleaner, which restored itfor a while. However, this operation left a fine residue thataccelerated the accumulation of cruft, so the dousings becamemore and more frequent. Finally, the mouse was declared"alcoholic" and sent to the clinic to be dried out in a CFCultrasonic bath.