house wizard

from Jargon File (4.4.4, 14 Aug 2003)
house wizard
 n.

   [prob.: from ad-agency tradetalk, `house freak'] A hacker occupying a
   technical-specialist, R&D, or systems position at a commercial shop. A
   really effective house wizard can have influence out of all proportion
   to his/her ostensible rank and still not have to wear a suit. Used
   esp. of Unix wizards. The term house guru is equivalent.
    
from The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)
house wizard

   (Probably from ad-agency tradetalk, "house freak") A hacker
   occupying a technical-specialist, R&D, or systems position at
   a commercial shop.  A really effective house wizard can have
   influence out of all proportion to his/her ostensible rank and
   still not have to wear a suit.  Used especially of {Unix}
   {wizards}.  The term "house guru" is equivalent.

   [{Jargon File}]

   (1995-02-16)
    

grant@antiflux.org