Cross-generational communication: don’t be clueless – be aware of different meanings

What meaning do YOU take from the expression ‘bugging out’?

This post was inspired by a recent story about a reunion of the cast from Clueless. That movie used lots of  ’90s ‘slang’ such as the term ‘bugging’ – which is not the same thing as ‘bugging out’.

 

 

I am a fan of that movie so I am familiar with the meaning of expressions – and even got to interview the movies star, Alicia Silverstone back in the 90s.

 

I even remember getting a glossary of what different terms meant – Bettys and Baldwins etc.

 

My understanding is to be ‘bugging’  (back when the movie came out) meant to be freaking out. (Please, correct me if I am mistaken.)

 

To ‘bug out’ means to flee or evacuate.

 

 

So, in my professional opinion as a cross-cultural and cross-generational communication consultant – the headline should have read: ‘fans are bugging’ – NOT fans ‘fans bug out’.

 

I often hear the argument that ‘your audience will know what you mean’.

I argue that it’s better to:

1. understand different meanings to different generations
2.  try to avoid misunderstandings

 

 

I remember a young TV reporter calling the US Secret Service the SS.  Aaaaaaargh – the SS has a different meaning to generations aware of World War II.

 

Often, younger workers ‘pump out’ content and more mature bosses are too busy to check it and catch any errors (or expressions that mean different things to different generations.

 

I’ve also heard of serious misunderstandings in business over different generations misunderstanding terms.

 

Another example is ‘dropped’. To more mature audiences – ‘dropped’ means something has been cut/axed/omitted.

To younger audiences ‘dropped’ means something has arrived/been published.

 

Anyway, now you know ‘bugging’ does not mean the same thing as ‘bugging out’.

 

Clueless was such a good movie. I can’t wait to watch it again and probably explain what some of the expressions mean to my kids.