# Zit??

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zit/129380>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 24, 2002, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zit/129380 "2002-09-24T01:22:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![insider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@insider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/insider)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2002, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zit/129380/1 "2002-09-24T01:22:47Z")

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Where did the word Zit come from and why does it reference a pimple? Is a blackhead a pimple? How many kinds of pimples are there? Where does the word pimple come from?

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2002, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zit/129380/2 "2002-09-24T01:29:52Z")

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The OED gives the term “zit” as “origin unknown.” The first cite is from 1966.

“Pimple” has this: [Origin unknown: connexion with L. papula or papilla has been conjectured; but evidence is wanting. Cf. OE. pipliende shingly, affected with herpes, in Sax. Leechd. I. 266.]

Earliest cite is from c 1400.