It bugs me because there is a better name and I know I've seen it somewhere;
    I just can't remember ... grr!

I recall a term Drop-through programming for what I think you mean with (Operational Analysis reserved word) "lineair" programming. A drop-through program is a program where the execution starts at the top of the file, drops through the code and stops at the end of the file (this is not to be named "top-down" which is also reserved allready).

That makes sense I think - though english is not my native language. As soon as you introduce a subroutine you have to decide where to put it: on top? at the end? In the middle? Anyway somebody (the programmer or the language-programmer) has find a way to exclude it (this first subroutine) from the drop-through execution flow, so that it only gets executed when you want it executed.

HTH,

Danny