Glitch
Meaning: A malfunction, error, or unexpected problem, especially with technology.
A glitch is any temporary malfunction — a frozen screen, a weird visual bug in a game, or an app behaving strangely. Beyond tech, Americans use 'glitch' metaphorically for any unexpected hiccup or error in real life. 'Glitching' can also describe someone behaving erratically or having a mental lapse.
Examples
- There's a glitch in the app — it keeps crashing when I try to log in. 这个App有bug——每次登录都会闪退。Hay un fallo en la aplicación — se cierra cada vez que intento iniciar sesión.アプリにバグがあって——ログインしようとすると落ちるんだ。앱에 버그가 있어——로그인하려고 하면 계속 꺼져.
- Sorry I sent that to the wrong person — my phone glitched. 不好意思发错人了——手机出bug了。Perdona, se lo envié a la persona equivocada — el móvil me falló.間違った人に送っちゃった、ごめん——スマホがバグったんだ。잘못된 사람한테 보내버렸어, 미안——폰이 버그 났어.
- I totally glitched out during the presentation and forgot what I was saying. 我在演讲的时候脑子完全卡壳了,忘了要说什么。Me quedé totalmente en blanco durante la presentación y olvidé lo que iba a decir.プレゼン中に完全にフリーズしちゃって、何言おうとしてたか忘れちゃったよ。발표 중에 완전히 멈춰버려서 뭘 말하려 했는지 까먹었어.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: technology, gaming, everyday problems
Tone: explanatory, frustrated
✓ Do Say
- It's just a glitch — restart the app.只是个小bug——重启一下App就好了。Es solo un fallo — reinicia la app.ただのバグだよ——アプリを再起動して。그냥 글리치야——앱 재시작해 봐.
- My brain glitched for a second.我脑子刚才短路了一下。Mi cerebro ha tenido un glitch por un segundo.一瞬脳がバグった。머리가 잠깐 글리치 났어.
✗ Don't Say
- Don't call a major, ongoing system failure a 'glitch' — that minimizes it. A glitch is temporary and minor别把重大的、持续性的系统故障称为'glitch'——这会淡化问题的严重性。glitch是临时性的小问题No llames 'glitch' a un fallo grave y continuado del sistema — eso lo minimiza. Un glitch es temporal y menor大規模で継続的なシステム障害を「グリッチ」と呼ぶと問題を矮小化する——グリッチは一時的で軽微なものを指す크고 지속적인 시스템 장애를 '글리치'라고 부르지 마라——그건 문제를 축소하는 것이다. 글리치는 일시적이고 사소한 것이다
Origin & History
From the Yiddish 'glitsh' (slippery place) via the German 'glitschen' (to slip). American astronaut John Glenn popularized it in 1962 to describe voltage fluctuations in spacecraft electronics. It entered mainstream tech and then everyday vocabulary.
Cultural Context
Era: 1960s tech, 1990s mainstream
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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