# Origin of “idjit” **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 17, 2003, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-idjit/219491 "2003-12-17T07:12:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-idjit/219491/1 "2003-12-17T07:12:42Z")
Well yea, an idjit question! 😉 I have seen that spelling of “idiot” here and elsewhere, and I wonder what was the reason and the origin of that spelling. ---
**Author:** ![croakdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b77776/32.png) [@croakdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/croakdale)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-idjit/219491/2 "2003-12-17T10:38:47Z")
it’s commonly used in ireland, pronounced eejit. I think it is just a corruption of the word idiot. ---
**Author:** ![NoGoodNamesLeft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8797f3/32.png) [@NoGoodNamesLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoGoodNamesLeft)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-idjit/219491/3 "2003-12-17T12:51:48Z")
I use it at home (in reference to my dog). We also use “Injun” (jn a mean-no-harm, fun sort of way) referring to native peoples. Not sure where I picked it up…a movie maybe? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-idjit/219491/4 "2003-12-17T13:48:40Z")
It’s human nature to elide. The spelling merely reflects the pronunciation, which no doubt has risen independently in many places and times. Trying to pin down a single origin would be like trying to catch the wind. ---
**Author:** ![Bewildebeest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Bewildebeest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bewildebeest)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-idjit/219491/5 "2003-12-17T14:00:08Z")
Actually, the first time I heard it was from Yosemite Sam on a Bugs Bunny cartoon. I can’t say it originated there, but I suspect that it did. That would be sometime in the 60’s I guess. ---
**Author:** ![TENNESSEE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dbc845/32.png) [@TENNESSEE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TENNESSEE)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-idjit/219491/6 "2010-12-29T13:25:11Z")
The earliest reference that I have heard using “idjit” was in the 1941 John Wayne movie “The Shepherd of the Hills” ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-idjit/219491/7 "2010-12-29T13:42:28Z")
My grandfather used “idjit” a lot. He was from Ohio, by way of Utah. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-idjit/219491/8 "2010-12-29T14:47:35Z")
It’s just a slightly humorous dialect spelling. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-idjit/219491/9 "2010-12-29T14:56:07Z")
A casual search thru Google News Archives shows 19th century references. Personally, my money was on Yosemite Sam. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-idjit/219491/10 "2010-12-29T15:44:48Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Well yea, an idjit question! 😉 > > I have seen that spelling of “idiot” here and elsewhere, and I wonder what was the reason and the origin of that spelling. It’s simply a spelling that tries to recreate a pronunciation that is common in certain accents, such as in Ireland. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-idjit/219491/11 "2010-12-29T16:34:36Z")
It’s also used in Jamaican slang and Patois. “Dem eedyats\*, dem!” (They are all idiots!) (or eedjat) ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-idjit/219491/12 "2010-12-29T18:07:10Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > A casual search thru Google News Archives shows 19th century references. Personally, my money was on Yosemite Sam. My grandfather was born in 1888, and never expressed any interest in Warner Bros. cartoons. I seriuosly doubt that is where he got it. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-idjit/219491/13 "2010-12-29T18:13:10Z")
To be fair, I think **Earl** agrees with you. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-idjit/219491/14 "2010-12-29T18:14:06Z")
OK then. That’s very different. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2010, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-idjit/219491/15 "2010-12-30T22:44:43Z")
Whoa, I was not aware this got replies, so I should give all late zombie thanks for your posts. 🙂