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are they arbitrary? or are they representative of iconography elsewhere in the UI (and therefore indicate a simile, like the shortcut sequence to the right of the menu entry). (legit question, I don't think I've used the app this is a screenshot of)

I understood what you're talking about, the iconography like console, checkpoint, enter function, etc. to the left. What I was asking was whether that iconography was represented elsewhere in the UI. Like IntelliJ has a console button as well as a menu item.

Regardless of whether they're represented elsewhere, I still wouldn't say that they're "arbitrary" – they're symbols that provide a visual representation of the action being indicated, which is different than what the 1992 guidelines warn against (using meaningless symbols that don't add anything).

I haven't seen one of those in the wild ever! I thought you would know the story behind Mac/Lisa not asking "Do it" but now I'm fixated on the WorkSlate - I used a Tandy 102 and Nec Starlet in school.