noun General Slang

Gremlin

/ˈɡrɛmlɪn/ · noun · slang

The mischievous imaginary imp that RAF pilots blamed for every mysterious mechanical fault.

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Definitions

1

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.”
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2

Figuratively, a hidden cause of recurring trouble.

“Some gremlin keeps wrecking the spreadsheet every quarter.”
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3

An imaginary mischievous creature blamed for unexplained mechanical failures, especially in aircraft. Pilots invoked it whenever an engine acted up for no clear reason.

“The gremlins must've gotten into the carburetor again.”
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Gremlin In A Sentence

Every time the radio cut out, the crew swore it was gremlins.
We chased the gremlin through the codebase for two days.
The old truck has a gremlin that only shows up in the rain.

Origin & Usage

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.

Variants gremlins
Tags #1940s#wartime#swing#vintage#aviation#humor

People Also Ask

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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