jargon.artrocity.com
New Hacker's Dictionary the Jargon File v 4.4.6
[by (faulty) analogy with decapitate] Humorously, to cut off the feet of. When one is using some computer-aided typesetting tools, careless placement of text blocks within a page or above a rule can result in chopped-off letter descenders. Such letters are said to have been depeditated.