Code smell

A surface symptom that often, but not always, indicates a deeper problem — long parameter lists, shotgun surgery, feature envy, a comment explaining a workaround. The value of the vocabulary is that it makes an instinct discussable: 'this smells' is not review feedback, but 'this is primitive obsession and here is what it will cost' is. A smell is a prompt to look, never a rule that something must be changed.