A simple, fast, interesting, apparently effective, and apparently new hashing function for strings of text is based on iterated use of the exclusive OR (XOR) operation and avoids the use of multiplication, division, and long register shifts; it is therefore suitable for use on small microprocessors. The function’s main defect is that it requires storage of an auxiliary array T[256] of bytes: T contains a pseudorandom permutation of the codes 0–255. The function normally hashes into the range 0–255 but can be modified to yield smaller or larger ranges; a judicious choice of the array T even yields minimal perfect hashing in some cases. Since standard hashing schemes can be modified to deal with variable-length strings just as this approach does, the method’s main interest appears to be its ease of use on microprocessors; “Fast hashing for microprocessors” would thus have been a preferable title.