# UK dopers, what's a "git" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 20, 2003, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-whats-a-git/149859 "2003-01-20T20:38:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2003, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-whats-a-git/149859/1 "2003-01-20T20:38:48Z")
What is a “git”, as in “You mangy Scots git!”? In grad school I had an English prof., i.e. a prof. from England, and I asked him and he said, “Well…it’s not as bad as a ‘fuck-head’.” But never really answered my question. Can anybody help? ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2003, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-whats-a-git/149859/2 "2003-01-20T20:51:26Z")
I’m sure we’ve done this one before, but it’s hard to search for. “Git” is an insult not to be used in polite company, but not at the top of the profanity scale. Apparently it was originally a contraction of “illi **git** imate” even though it’s pronounced with a hard g. You might find this [dictionary of English slang](http://www.peevish.co.uk/slang/g.htm) handy for future reference. ---
**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:** [January 20, 2003, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-whats-a-git/149859/3 "2003-01-20T20:53:46Z")
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=109890](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=109890) ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2003, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-whats-a-git/149859/4 "2003-01-20T21:15:35Z")
thought it was from “get”, same idea as illegitimate. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2003, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-whats-a-git/149859/5 "2003-01-20T21:22:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by irishgirl \* > \*\*thought it was from “get”, same idea as illegitimate. \*\* Yeah, “get” was more common where I grew up too but both are used. Hey, why have one version of a three letter word meaning “bastard” when you can have two? That’s English for you. Good searching btw, **Mjollnir**. How did you manage that? ---
**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:** [January 20, 2003, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-whats-a-git/149859/6 "2003-01-20T21:30:45Z")
I did a search on ‘‘scouse.’’😃 ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2003, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-whats-a-git/149859/7 "2003-01-20T22:41:37Z")
Technically, its a pregnant camel… No, really, except I can’t find a relevant cite at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-whats-a-git/149859/8 "2003-01-21T00:45:53Z")
Best cite I could [find.](http://www.quinion.com/words/qa/qa-git1.htm) ---
**Author:** ![ShadowWarrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7993a0/32.png) [@ShadowWarrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowWarrior)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-whats-a-git/149859/9 "2003-01-21T12:10:07Z")
a git is somewhere between a twit and prat… An insult I would cheerfully use between close friends as in 'You Git! you took the last biscuit, I wanted that…" No offense would be taken. On the other hand, saying to a stranger on the train “You git, that was my seat!” will most likely gain you a thrashing. ---
**Author:** ![garius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e19b73/32.png) [@garius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garius)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-whats-a-git/149859/10 "2003-01-21T12:49:25Z")
yeah - its definitely a milder version of “bastard” tat you would use when with your mates. We brits invent new profanities everyday by the way, we do it to confuse you yanks. It amuses us. MUAHAHAHAHA ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-whats-a-git/149859/11 "2003-01-21T18:32:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by garius \* > \*\*yeah - its definitely a milder version of “bastard” tat you would use when with your mates. > > We brits invent new profanities everyday by the way, we do it to confuse you yanks. > > It amuses us. > > MUAHAHAHAHA \*\* Everyone needs a hobby!🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-whats-a-git/149859/12 "2003-01-21T19:45:41Z")
I wanna be a Brit! ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-whats-a-git/149859/13 "2003-01-21T20:03:59Z")
The vulgar/comic magazine _Viz_ has organised the ever-growing list of profanities into [Roger’s Profanisaurus](http://www.viz.co.uk/profanisaurus/profanis.htm). Not for the faint-hearted. You have been warned. Interestingly they omit “git”, presumably on the grounds that “get” is more commonplace. ---
**Author:** ![X\_Slayer\_ALE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bbe5ce/32.png) [@X\_Slayer\_ALE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/X_Slayer_ALE)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-whats-a-git/149859/14 "2003-01-21T20:09:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by garius \* > \*\* > We brits invent new profanities everyday by the way, we do it to confuse you yanks. > > It amuses us. > > \*\* Then shouldnt that be “you Yank gits” …? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Cillasi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@Cillasi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cillasi)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-whats-a-git/149859/15 "2003-01-21T20:13:07Z")
I’ve always thought it was a disrespectful way to refer to someone’s children (legitimate or not). For example, “I wouldn’t expect any better from his git.” I also think slaveowners used the term to apply to the offspring of slaves…guess it made them sound less human. (“Who’s git is that?”) ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-whats-a-git/149859/16 "2003-01-21T21:40:01Z")
The word is also used in Canada, but I’m not sure how common it is. Although everyone I’ve yelled it at seemed to understand what it meant 🙂