Christopher -> Git???

ibarelycare

How is the nickname Git derived from the name Christopher? I think it's mainly a Dublin thing. I've asked lots of Dublin people, and googled, but can't find the answer. Anyone??

darkpagandeath

kris kringle

McDermotX

Never have I ever heard a Christopher referred to as Git.

Never ever.


Heard of one, I repeat, one, called Kit. But not sure if that was because of the Christopher, or because he had a big red LED across his chest.

ibarelycare

McDermotX wrote: »

Never have I ever heard a Christopher referred to as Git.

Never ever.


Heard of one, I repeat, one, called Kit. But not sure if that was because of the Christopher, or because he had a big red LED across his chest.

It seems to be a bit of a scumbag thing. Google "Christopher git" and you'll get lots of stories from the Sunday World about various criminals with that name. There was also one in Love Hate, he was the RA head.

The Backwards Man

St Christopher medals.

The patron saint of gitting

RichardCeann

Ask a young Dublin child to say Christopher. They pronounce it 'Git-a-fur'.

Hence how the nickname Git came to be.

darkpagandeath

RichardCeann wrote: »

Ask a young Dublin child to pronounce Christopher. They say 'Git-a-fur'.

Hence how the nickname Git came to be.

Would it not be, Christopher Roight.

NotCominBack

ibarelycare wrote: »

It seems to be a bit of a scumbag thing. Google "Christopher git" and you'll get lots of stories from the Sunday World about various criminals with that name. There was also one in Love Hate, he was the RA head.

Most likely to be related to your browser search history

yes there

Know one git. Another Christopher (git) is written on a headstone in a cemetary in Harolds Cross. Used to see it everyday when standing at the toilet (overlooks graveyard). Definitely a Dublin thing.

RedemptionZ

I too never heard of git being from Christopher. I think it's very rare tbh OP.

RayM

yes there wrote: »

Know one git. Another Christopher (git) is written on a headstone in a cemetary in Harolds Cross. Used to see it everyday when standing at the toilet (overlooks graveyard). Definitely a Dublin thing.

Imagine having 'Git' on your headstone. Forever.

ElleEm

RedemptionZ wrote: »

I too never heard of git being from Christopher. I think it's very rare tbh OP.

It is definitely not rare in Dublin. I know of a fair few Gits. I know two Christophers who aren't called Git. One is from the country, if that makes a difference! I don't know the origins!

conorh91

A bit like Kathleen=Kitty. Where does that come from? My sister's called Kathleen, calling her Kitty is the equivalent of pressing the nuclear button.

Could be worse Git. uh sorry, I mean Christopher.

irishgirl19

Never understood it myself. Hard not to find a dub called Christopher who is not known as Git

rubadub

Never heard it before, and know a few Christophers.

Maybe I did hear it, if I did I would have presumed it was an insult i.e. -lazy git.

FM104
October 6, 2011 ·
Get it off your chest... Here's a random question... why are people with the name Christopher called GIT? And people with the name Murphy called Spud??!

https://www.facebook.com/DublinsFM104/posts/257253930984907

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Never heard of it before now.

Hitchens

Jack Early Tableware wrote: »

Never heard of it before now.

waddabout Git Lee........ died recently?

Duckworth_Luas

Let Git take it!


A classic movie scene would have been ruined

Sir Osis of Liver.

FFS....Jesus Christ himself was known as Git on the streets of Nazareth.

NachoBusiness

Remember way way back being told that it stems from toddlers difficulty pronouncing Christopher, as invariably they sound like they are saying Gitsobher or something close.

Someone must have just started shortening it for a child at some point along the line and it just caught on.

stimpson

Hitchens wrote: »

waddabout Git Lee........ died recently?

Don't forget Git Gitson the famous country singer.

Hitchens

stimpson wrote: »

Don't forget Git Gitson the famous country singer.

....and that Git Walken fella, that does be in de fillums

McGrath5

I know a Git myself, always thought it was just a made up name for this individual.

Sir Osis of Liver.

Or Git "Git"Gitinsky,the famous cosmonaut.

NotCominBack

Many of them
Git Columbus
Git Reeve
St Git
Git Walken

JacquesSon

The ignorance of Git says a lot about the demographics of Boards.

Annasopra

Never ever heard of that before

Sh1tbag OToole

Christopher Gitchens

Cold War Kid

Yup, I'm aware of it. I knew a lad from Crumlin called Christopher and all his pals referred to him as Git (phonetically: "Gih" :pac:). Thought at the time that it was his nickname only, but then met another Christopher from Tallaght, known as Git also - that's when I realised it was a thing, and a Dublin thing specifically.

Can't understand where it comes from, but I guess there's Kitty from Kathleen as someone said, and... not entirely the same as it's a name and not a nickname, but Dick being short for Richard doesn't make any sense either.

Dyr

Yeah twould be have been common enough in dublin back in the 80s, probably not so much now

First time I've ever heard Christopher referred to as Git. Weird.

Hitchens

Cold War Kid wrote: »

Dick being short for Richard doesn't make any sense either.

just imagine if your name was Richard Head :pac:

Gatling

I've a mate

Christopher 'Git' dublin born and breed never sure where it came from though

Cold War Kid

Hitchens wrote: »

just imagine if your name was Richard Head :pac:

Mike Hunt is the best.

RichardCeann

Hitchens wrote: »

just imagine if your name was Richard Head :pac:

Great name.

Hitchens

Cold War Kid wrote: »

Mike Hunt is the best.

...or Hugh Jass :P

I feel like it started because someone was pissed off at someone and called them a git, who conveniently was called Christopher.

Next you'll tell me that cunt is short for Michael.

uch

I've three relations from the Schticks called Christopher and they're all called Kit, I know 3 lads from Dublin called Christopher, all called Git, it's just a regional thing

Hitchens

Kit is an abbreviation of the given names Christopher or Katherine. People named Kit include: Kit Armstrong (born 1992), American-born pianist and composer.
Kit (given name) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kit_(given_name)

Dublin folk just pronounce Kit as Git or Gih, that's how it came about

El Weirdo

Cold War Kid wrote: »

... Dick being short for Richard doesn't make any sense either.

In fairness, I know 2 Richards, and they're both massive dicks.

runawaybishop

Cold War Kid wrote: »

Yup, I'm aware of it. I knew a lad from Crumlin called Christopher and all his pals referred to him as Git (phonetically: "Gih" :pac:). Thought at the time that it was his nickname only, but then met another Christopher from Tallaght, known as Git also - that's when I realised it was a thing, and a Dublin thing specifically.

Can't understand where it comes from, but I guess there's Kitty from Kathleen as someone said, and... not entirely the same as it's a name and not a nickname, but Dick being short for Richard doesn't make any sense either.

Richard> Rick > Dick

bodhrandude

I got a bone to pick with you.

Sir Osis of Liver.

There must be someone,somewhere called Mike Litoris.

kfallon

Cold War Kid wrote: »

Mike Hunt is the best.

Mickey Moore

LordSutch

I once worked with a real pratt, Nigel was his name and Pratt was his surname, although we all called him 'Bush' such was his adoration of Kate Bush, plus the fact that he looked a bit like her with a massive bush of hair

Regarding the name Git, I always think of the sketch in the Fast Show with the old gits . . .

You can't honestly say that Git is an abbreviation of Christopher

He may indeed be a bit of a lazy git (git being an insult), and maybe that's why he's called git?

Dictionary definition; "Git is a mild pejorative term with origins in English for a silly, incompetent, stupid, annoying, senile, lazy, hopeless, elderly or childish person" (get up ya lazy git) insult to the accused 'git'.

Surely Chris is the abbreviation of Christopher.

Cold War Kid

Cold War Kid wrote: »

not entirely the same as it's a name and not a nickname, but Dick being short for Richard doesn't make any sense either.

Richard=>Rick=> Dick
Robert=>Rob=> Bob
William=>Will=>Bill

And so on.

NachoBusiness

Hitchens wrote: »

Dublin folk just pronounce Kit as Git or Gih, that's how it came about.

Maybe that's what I heard so, that toddlers were pronouncing Kit as Git and it just caught on from that. Don't accept though that Dubliners in general have issues with pronouncing 'Kit' though. I'm from Dublin and have never heard anyone struggle with pronouncing it. When we were growing up if someone said 'Football Git' or 'Bicycle Repair Git' they'd be slagged to high heavens and no doubt get accused of having speech impediment or something. If they said they loved Michael's Knight's car 'Git', well, I doubt the fcukers would ever live it down.

Cold War Kid wrote: »

Yup, I'm aware of it. I knew a lad from Crumlin called Christopher and all his pals referred to him as Git (phonetically: "Gih" :pac:). Thought at the time that it was his nickname only, but then met another Christopher from Tallaght, known as Git also - that's when I realised it was a thing, and a Dublin thing specifically.

Yeah, it's defiantly a working class area slang. Known a few Gits and they were all from inner city Dublin. I don't live too far from Crumlin now and know of two Gits that were murdered not too long ago in fact. Won't name them here as the thread would show up in a search but if you Google 'Christopher Git Murder Dublin' you'll find two. Also, the IRA rapist in Love / Hate was called Christopher "Git" Loughman. Seriously *NSFW* work rape scene here (where he is referred to as Git a few times within the first few minutes):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMT2yODFH2A

On a lighter note, the name Git to me will always instantly bring I Went Down to mind.

StupidLikeAFox

Margaret = Peggy

What's that all about?

conorh91

Yeah, Margaret has created all sorts of strange nicknames.

My Granny was called Mogsie by her friends and family. I remember worrying about her in school when I discovered she signed my homework diary "Margaret H...." Genuinely presumed she'd lost her marbles.

Daisy and Margaret are also interchangeable, apparently. A daisy = une marguerite

fleet_admiral

It was alwaya Kit to me, not Git

LordSutch

fleet_admiral wrote: »

It was alwaya Kit to me, not Git

Still makes no sense to go from Christopher to Kit, but at least it's better than the pejorative & rather insulting term "git".

. . . . . .get out of bed (you lazy git)!