General
gen
What does gen mean?
Information, the facts, the actual story. What you need to know about a mission, a posting, a new aircraft. Survives in British English well outside the forces ('what's the gen on the new boss?').
"Give me the gen on tomorrow's sortie before I brief the lads."
Origin
RAF, WWII. Short for 'general information' (from the standard 'for the general information of all ranks' that headed station notices) — or possibly from 'genuine'. Both etymologies are still argued.
Frequently asked questions
What does gen mean?
Gen means information — and you want it pukka (genuine), not duff (false).
How do you use gen in a sentence?
"Give us the gen on the new place."
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