git
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Alternative forms
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA(key): /ɡɪt/
Audio (Received Pronunciation): (file) Audio (General American): (file) - Rhymes: -ɪt
- Homophone: ghit (one pronunciation)
Etymology 1
From Middle English get (“[illegitimate] offspring”). A southern variant of Scots get (“illegitimate child, brat”), related to beget.[1]
Noun
git (plural gits)
- (British, Ireland, slang, derogatory) A silly, incompetent, stupid, or annoying person (usually a man).
- 1968, “I'm So Tired”, in John Lennon (lyrics), The Beatles, performed by the Beatles:
- Although I'm so tired, I'll have another cigarette / And curse Sir Walter Raleigh, he was such a stupid git
- 1990, House of Cards, season 1, episode 1:
- Bit of a flash git, don't you think?
- 2000 December 18, BBC and Bafta Tribute to Michael Caine, 16:43-17:05:
- Parkinson: You made films before, but the part that really made your name was Zulu, wasn't it […] and there of course—against type—you played the toff, you played the officer.
Caine: I played the officer, yeah, and everybody thought I was like that. Everyone was so shocked when they met me, this like Cockney guy had played this toffee-nosed git.
- 2019, The Stupendium (lyrics and music), “What a Fowl Day”:
- Here we see the common domestic goose, Anser cygnoides domesticus. Found across the British countryside, it is known for its distinctive call; proud, majestic stature; and for being an all-round inconsiderate little git!
- 2020 December 16, Christian Wolmar, “Coverage of little-used stations does the railway no favours”, in RAIL, page 45:
- I'm not being a miserable old git here. I like a laugh as much as anyone, [...].
Usage notes
- Git is usually used as an insult, more severe than twit but less severe than a true profanity like wanker or arsehole, and may often be used affectionately between friends. Get can also be used, with a subtle change of meaning. "You cheeky get!" is slightly less harsh than "You cheeky git!".
- Git is frequently used in conjunction with another word to achieve a more specific meaning. For instance a "smarmy git" refers to a person of a slimy, ingratiating disposition; a "jammy git" would be a person with undeserved luck. The phrase "grumpy old git", denoting a cantankerous old man, is used with particular frequency.
- In parts of northern England, Northern Ireland and Scotland, get is still used in preference to git. In the Republic of Ireland, get, rather than git is used.
- The word has been ruled by the Speaker of the House of Commons to be unparliamentary language.[2][3]
Translations
A silly, incompetent, stupid, annoying or childish person
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Etymology 2
Verb
git (third-person singular simple present gitting, present participle got, simple past and past participle gotten)
- (Appalachia, Southern US, African-American Vernacular) To get (leave; scram; begone).
Derived terms
Etymology 3
Noun
git (plural gits)
- Alternative form of geat (channel in metal casting)
Etymology 4
Likely chosen for its shortness and pronounceability, but various other explanations and backronyms were offered after its introduction.
Proper noun
git
- (computing) Alternative letter-case form of Git, a distributed VCS.
References
Anagrams
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