General
gremlin
What does gremlin mean?
By extension, any small, hard-to-trace fault or glitch in a machine or system.
"There's a gremlin in the wiring we can't seem to find."
Origin
Royal Air Force slang that emerged in the late 1930s and spread widely in the 1940s, used by British and then American airmen for the invisible imps blamed for aircraft faults. Roald Dahl, an RAF pilot, helped popularize the creatures in print.
Frequently asked questions
What does gremlin mean in slang?
An imaginary imp blamed for mechanical faults, or by extension any small mysterious glitch.
Where did gremlin come from?
From RAF flyers' slang in the late 1930s and 1940s, used to explain unexplained aircraft trouble.
Did Roald Dahl invent gremlins?
No, but the former RAF pilot popularized them in a 1943 book that spread the term beyond aviation.
Is gremlin still used today?
Yes — it's standard for any elusive bug or fault in machines, software, or systems.
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