# Definition and etymology of shiznit **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 6, 2003, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definition-and-etymology-of-shiznit/200004 "2003-09-06T22:59:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Horseflesh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horseflesh/32/7502_2.png) [@Horseflesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horseflesh)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definition-and-etymology-of-shiznit/200004/1 "2003-09-06T22:59:59Z")
Anybody know the origin of this word? Googling for this word brings up all sorts of sites using it, but rarely any definition. Context suggests it’s a non-vulgar replacement for “shit” when it’s used as a term for great, outstanding, or “nothing comes close”, as in “The SDMB is the _shiznit_”. There also seems to be some variants on spelling, such as shisnit, shiznet, and shiznitt. A couple of sites attempt to give a definition, such as [UrbanDictionary.com](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=shiznit), [Turd’s Words](http://www.turdwords.com/viewWord.cfm?wordID=185) :rolleyes: , and [The Online Slang Dictionary](http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~wrader/slang/s.html), but all of them seem to take their definitions from ones submitted by random users. Did Snoop Doggy Dogg make this word up? My wife tells me he is known to put “izn” in the middle of many words while rapping/talking. The reason I’m asking is because I’m forming a volleyball team and I want to call it The Shiz Nets. Do you think people would be offended by that name? ---
**Author:** ![compton\_homie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ea924/32.png) [@compton\_homie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/compton_homie)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definition-and-etymology-of-shiznit/200004/2 "2003-09-06T23:20:07Z")
Fo shizzel my nizzel, ill find out and reply when the game is finished on the televizzle. ---
**Author:** ![Scoo8b](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Scoo8b](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scoo8b)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definition-and-etymology-of-shiznit/200004/3 "2003-09-07T00:52:52Z")
As long as it’s not a children’s volleyball team, I don’t think anyone would really care… ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definition-and-etymology-of-shiznit/200004/4 "2003-09-07T01:47:01Z")
I’m sure we did this before. Just search the board for the word. It goes back to rap in the early 1990’s/late 1980’s. It means “the best.” ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definition-and-etymology-of-shiznit/200004/5 "2003-09-07T01:57:24Z")
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=182544&highlight=shiznit+snoop](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=182544&highlight=shiznit+snoop) That would be a previous thread that may help. ---
**Author:** ![gluteus\_maximus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f17d59/32.png) [@gluteus\_maximus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gluteus_maximus)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definition-and-etymology-of-shiznit/200004/6 "2003-09-07T17:46:18Z")
Sounds like a variation of BeBop. Insert “z” after the first letter. “cool” becomes “c-zool” “dope” becomes “d-zope” “sham” becomes “sh-zam” Yeah, I kn-zow… ---
**Author:** ![Horseflesh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horseflesh/32/7502_2.png) [@Horseflesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horseflesh)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definition-and-etymology-of-shiznit/200004/7 "2003-09-07T18:55:13Z")
Thanks for your input, guys. Sounds like the contributers of the other thread didn’t really know either. I may just have to wait until “shiznit” makes it’s way into the OED. Let _them_ figure it out. 😃