Principles explaining the phenomena of computer systems that are constituted of poorly matched elements or of elements originally intended for other applications, a clumsy or inelegant solution to a problem. 


Stan Kelly Bootle's "Devil's DP Dictionary" had an excellent two page presentation of
the TheoryOfKludges.  It was a glorious parody of academic computer science research.
A key part of the theory was that every kludge k has a unique anti-kludge k' that undoes
it, plus a large number of counter-kludges k* that didn't quite undo it correctly.  The
theory proceeds to the consequences of doing a kludge, applying a false anti-kludge, and
then the correct anti-kludge = x.k().k*().k'().  When in fact you should have done
a x.k().k*().k*'().k'()...

(all from memory)
-- RichardBotting