gen/jen
krek
information/gossip"
what is gen or jen short for?
jamess
anything; "Gen" is just an informal term for information.
I've also seen the verb form, as in "Make sure you gen up on that range of
products..."
HTH.
"krek" <kr...@notkrek.notcom> wrote in message
news:39hjsbF...@individual.net...
nullp...@verizon.net
wrote:
>which is right " all the gen" or is it "all the jen" ? meaning "all the
>information/gossip"
>what is gen or jen short for?
http://www.peevish.co.uk/slang/
gen Noun. Information. E.g."What's the gen on the economic
situation in Brazil." {Informal}
gen (someone) up Verb. To give (someone) all the information
required. {Informal}
gen up on (something) Verb phrs. To find out about (something).
E.g."I've been genning up on tropical fish." {Informal}
It's British slang.
While I can't say for sure what it's history as slang is, I
understand it is a shortening of "general" in the sense of common or
conventional, as in "generally accepted" or "generally repeated" rumor
or information. Unfortunately I can't find a cite to support that,
and maybe the person who told me that was guessing.
Harvey Van Sickle
Collins confirms that it's a 20th century shortening of "general
information".
I've always assumed the most obvious explanation -- that it's
military/government slang referring to information security levels
(general/confidential/secret/top-secret).
--
Cheers, Harvey
Ottawa/Toronto/Edmonton for 30 years;
Southern England for the past 22 years.
(for e-mail, change harvey.news to harvey.van)
Peter Duncanson
<jame...@REMOVEMEblueyonder.co.uk> wrote:
>
>"krek" <kr...@notkrek.notcom> wrote in message
>news:39hjsbF...@individual.net...
>> which is right " all the gen" or is it "all the jen" ? meaning "all the
>> information/gossip"
>> what is gen or jen short for?
>
>According to http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=gen it's not short for
>anything; "Gen" is just an informal term for information.
>
>I've also seen the verb form, as in "Make sure you gen up on that range of
>products..."
>
>HTH.
>
From http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/gen?view=uk
<quote>
gen
/jen/ Brit. informal
• noun information.
• verb (genned, genning) (gen up) provide with or obtain information.
— ORIGIN originally in military use: perhaps from general information.
</quote>
Also http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_561509205/gen.html
<quote>
gen
noun
U.K. information: information ( informal )
[Mid-20th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps a shortening of general
information .]
</quote>
I don't know the origin of 'gen' but have occasionally wondered if it might
come from inside 'intelligence'.
--
Peter Duncanson
UK (posting from a.e.u)
the Omrud
For some reason, my brain thinks it's military slang for
"intelligence".
--
David
=====
replace usenet with the
Peter Duncanson
<harve...@ntlworld.com> wrote:
>
>I've always assumed the most obvious explanation -- that it's
>military/government slang referring to information security levels
>(general/confidential/secret/top-secret).
In my, limited, experience the official information security levels used in
the UK are unclassified/restricted/confidential/secret/top-secret. [1]
Long ago I worked with material in the first three categories.
There was one ocassion when I had the job of looking after, and if
necessary, repairing, an item of electronic equipment. The documentation
that I would have needed was classified 'secret', and not therefore
accessible by me. Not quite a Catch 22 situation, but on the way there.
There are higher levels but the existence and designations of these are
presumably secret, top secret, or totally unmentionable.
the Omrud
> On 13 Mar 2005, wrote
For some reason, my brain thinks it's military slang for
krek
last night but once it got there I couldn't fathom it out. Ever have weird
things like that in your head? and No I wasn't drinking or on drugs!
Harvey Van Sickle
-snip-
> There was one ocassion when I had the job of looking after, and if
> necessary, repairing, an item of electronic equipment. The
> documentation that I would have needed was classified 'secret',
> and not therefore accessible by me. Not quite a Catch 22
> situation, but on the way there.
They could tell you but then they'd have to....yes.