The term bug when referring to a computer malfunction has a history dating back to the 1870s, where engineers used it to describe mechanical issues, likening them to an insect infiltrating the machinery. This playful yet somewhat serious usage continued into the early days of computing. The term gained popularity in 1946 when scientists at the Harvard Computation Laboratory discovered a literal moth causing a malfunction in the Mark II computer. This incident further solidified the connection between bugs and technical glitches. Interestingly, the verb to bug, meaning to annoy, also stems from the insect’s association with irritation. Similarly, the expression to bug in the context of secretly monitoring someone electronically draws from the idea of surveillance devices being as inconspicuous as actual bugs. The origin of the noun bug remains uncertain, but it likely has ties to the Middle English word bugge, which connoted something frightening. This word also serves as the root for terms like bugbear and bugaboo.
