# pronunciation of git **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 10, 2004, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-git/223880 "2004-01-10T22:43:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![seaworthy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@seaworthy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seaworthy)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-git/223880/1 "2004-01-10T22:43:02Z")
ok all you Brits out there… Or Americans who have nothing better to do than learn the slang of another country. How do you pronounce “git”? I understand that it means idiot or jackass, but is that a hard g? ---
**Author:** ![Matchka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Matchka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Matchka)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-git/223880/2 "2004-01-10T22:45:38Z")
Soft g, as in goat. ---
**Author:** ![Patr100](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@Patr100](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patr100)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-git/223880/3 "2004-01-10T22:45:58Z")
Yes, as in gear. ---
**Author:** ![Splanky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@Splanky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Splanky)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-git/223880/4 "2004-01-10T22:50:45Z")
as in gumbo! ---
**Author:** ![Patr100](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@Patr100](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patr100)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-git/223880/5 "2004-01-10T22:57:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Matchka \* > \*\*Soft g, as in goat. \*\* Which surely makes it a hard G rather than a soft G as in Genie which has a J sound? ---
**Author:** ![seaworthy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@seaworthy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seaworthy)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-git/223880/6 "2004-01-10T22:58:53Z")
well I suppose you could consider it soft relative to the German hard g, which sounds like a cat coughing up a hairball. ---
**Author:** ![Matchka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Matchka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Matchka)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-git/223880/7 "2004-01-10T23:05:27Z")
Um…I was offering a definition as well? ---
**Author:** ![Matchka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Matchka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Matchka)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-git/223880/8 "2004-01-10T23:06:38Z")
:smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Patr100](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@Patr100](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patr100)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-git/223880/9 "2004-01-10T23:11:16Z")
As long as Seaworthy Gets(hard) the Gist(soft) of the pronounciation! ---
**Author:** ![raygirvan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac91a4/32.png) [@raygirvan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raygirvan)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-git/223880/10 "2004-01-11T00:32:02Z")
Agreed with all. The actual etymology is “ille(git)imate”, and I’ve heard it pronounced “jit” in Glasgow. But generally, the hard g is used. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-git/223880/11 "2004-01-11T01:05:53Z")
That’s the first time I’ve ever heard that etymology. You got a cite, ray? ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-git/223880/12 "2004-01-11T01:11:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by raygirvan \* > \*\* I’ve heard it pronounced “jit” in Glasgow. \*\* Are you sure you weren’t hearing a version of “eejit” (an Irish version of Idiot)? ---
**Author:** ![Quint\_Essence](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/54ee81/32.png) [@Quint\_Essence](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quint_Essence)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-git/223880/13 "2004-01-11T01:50:39Z")
Main Entry: git Pronunciation: 'git Function: noun Etymology: variant of get, term of abuse, from 2get Date: 1943 British : a foolish or worthless person ---
**Author:** ![raygirvan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac91a4/32.png) [@raygirvan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raygirvan)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-git/223880/14 "2004-01-11T04:05:16Z")
**Tengu**. I can’t find one, apart from anecdotal. I stand corrected and, having looked it up, agree with **Quint Essence** about “get” being the origin. See the [World Wide Words entry](http://www.quinion.com/words/qa/qa-git1.htm), for instance. Nevertheless, ---
**Author:** ![garius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e19b73/32.png) [@garius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garius)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2004, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-git/223880/15 "2004-01-12T15:16:32Z")
the “t” should be pronounced quite emphatically at the end too.