In the context of functional programming, a typical example of a side effect is "launch the missiles". Where does that expression come from historically?
Where does "launch the missiles" come from historically?
Good luck with that—it's more of a research question than a programming one.
Here are two data points:
I have heard Simon Peyton Jones use the exact phrase as an example in talks at least ten years ago.
In the early 1990s, maybe even in 1990, Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility had T-shirts made showing a picture of an atomic blast and the written legend
The ultimate error message
I'll wager the phrase goes back at least that far.
To get a real answer, you need a lexicographer, not a programmer.