# what's a git? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 19, 1999, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-git/6976 "1999-08-19T03:24:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 1999, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-git/6976/1 "1999-08-19T03:24:00Z")
can any of you Brits tell me, what’s a git? in “4 weddings and a funeral,” Hugh Grant’s late for lunch with his deaf brother, and the brother greets him by calling him a git, in sign language. 2 questions: what is it? where, on the socially inacceptable scale, does this fall? quaint euphemism? makes Aunt Fran blush? gets you thumped if you use it about someone in a pub? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 1999, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-git/6976/2 "1999-08-19T03:55:00Z")
I figured it meant a fool based on hearing “you silly git” hurled about by a Scot I knew. The OED claims that it is a worthless person. Interestingly, the oldest cite for this usage is 1946. I had the idea it was quite a bit older. I would guess that it would be most natural coming from a farmer or a machinist. Nothing to make Aunt Gertie blush, but not what you would generally say in front of the vicar. I would rate it at about a “twit” level for societal purposes. It is more dismissive than pejorative. * * * Tom~ ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 1999, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-git/6976/3 "1999-08-19T13:57:00Z")
“Git - (n) stupid person.” – Jann Turner-Lord; BOB’S YOUR UNCLE: A DICTIONARY OF BRITISH SLANG FOR MYSTERY FANS, Fithian Press, Santa Barbara, 1992. I have GOT to start cleaning out these bookshelves. * * * Uke ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 1999, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-git/6976/4 "1999-08-19T15:04:00Z")
Would the French usage be “_le git_”? * * * The overwhelming majority of people have more than the average (mean) number of legs. – E. Grebenik ---
**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 1999, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-git/6976/5 "1999-08-19T15:23:00Z")
Doc, _la git._ Feminine noun! Ike, what’s the deal with “Bob’s your uncle”? A Brit slang phrase? Help, “shagging” has about run it’s course! ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 1999, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-git/6976/6 "1999-08-20T05:00:00Z")
Chief, “Bob’s your uncle” is an exclamation meaning, roughly, “there you have it.” “I needed to know how I could get a free pass to the electric chair execution. I reached for my copy of Cecil’s first book, and, Bob’s your uncle, I had my answer!” * * * Uke ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 1999, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-git/6976/7 "1999-08-19T18:17:00Z")
What’s a “knees-up” ? * * * Never regret what seemed like a good idea at the time. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 1999, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-git/6976/8 "1999-08-19T18:50:00Z")
A ‘knees-up’ could be an entertaining party, or a lively night out at the pub (= drinking establishment). Dancing would usually be involved (that could be the derivation, because there is a jolly song from the traditional East End of London called ‘Knees-up Mother Brown’). I think ‘git’ is ruder than ‘twit’, but ‘bastard’ is ruder than both. You could put stupid in front of all 3, but f_ck_ng only goes with ‘bastard’. What would you understand by ‘Nice set of wheels, John’? ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 1999, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-git/6976/9 "1999-08-19T18:57:00Z")
Good thing glee came through. There’s nothing in the book between “knackered” and “knickers.” Now I’ll just stand back here, well out of the way, and let everyone have fly at the above comment. * * * Uke ---
**Author:** ![mr\_john](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@mr\_john](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr_john)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 1999, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-git/6976/10 "1999-08-19T19:58:00Z")
Whut’s all this uhbayuout ‘git’ bein’ some sort uv Ainglish word? Shoot yall is jist plain nuts.Soon’s ah git me sumthin ta knock sum sense inta yore haids ah’ll be raht back. * * * “…”-Marx ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 1999, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-git/6976/11 "1999-08-19T22:07:00Z")
Ukulele Ike…I think ‘knee-trembler’ comes between ‘knackered’ and ‘knickers’… ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 1999, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-git/6976/12 "1999-08-19T22:12:00Z")
Usually it’s prefaced by the phrase “Sniveling little rat faced” ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 1999, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-git/6976/13 "1999-08-19T22:29:00Z")
or in the title of the song “Randy Scouse…” (Monkees) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 1999, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-git/6976/14 "1999-08-20T01:18:00Z")
I understood that “Bob’s your uncle” dated back to the time of Prime Minister Robert Peel, who was famous for finding government jobs for nephews, cousins and friends of friends. If someone of little ability landed a cushy job, the explanation was “Bob’s his uncle.” (Sort of like FOB under the current U.S. administration, although that seems to get you more into the Lincoln Bedroom.) ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 1999, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-git/6976/15 "1999-08-20T12:41:00Z")
‘Scouse’ means someone from Liverpool. Randy, on this side of the pond, means someone with a voracious sexual appetite. This caused some confusion when my charming, polite cousin came over from Canada and said to all my female relatives ‘Hi, I’m Randy’… ---
**Author:** ![Intriguing\_Question\_Mark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ee59a6/32.png) [@Intriguing\_Question\_Mark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intriguing_Question_Mark)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2000, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-git/6976/16 "2000-08-30T00:59:43Z")
It means idiot, Randy Scouse Git is Horney Liverpudlian idiot. (Or Alternate Title 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sue\_Duhnym](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@Sue\_Duhnym](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sue_Duhnym)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2000, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-git/6976/17 "2000-08-30T01:06:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by glee \* > \*\*What would you understand by ‘Nice set of wheels, John’? \*\* Nice car? My hubby always says (pertaining to bottom heavy women), “She’s got wide wheels.” ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2000, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-git/6976/18 "2000-08-30T01:31:35Z")
Speaking of English idioms, what does “snap!” mean after someone asks a question? ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2000, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-git/6976/19 "2000-08-30T01:42:55Z")
Several years ago when I reseached the meaning after first watching Red Dwarf I found that a git is the son of a prostitute, an illegitimate child. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2000, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-git/6976/20 "2000-08-30T13:13:24Z")
I’ve heard people say “snap” here; I think it’s just a replacement word for “damn it, I should know the answer but I don’t.” I **have** heard people saying “f—ing git,” but never “f—ing twit.” My favourite cross-Atlantic misunderstanding: When I was at Leeds Uni, I knew a co-ed from South Carolina, where “to shag” means to dance. Her first night out at the bop, she innocently asked a bloke “Do you wanna shag?” His jaw hit the floor… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-git/6976.md?page=2)