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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Usually derived from get and meaning a stupid person.
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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Joined: Sep 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Where'dja git that, nuncle? My version of OED only gives it as slang and dating no earlier than a first cite in 1946, which surprised me. (and yes Father Steve, I'd use it also in precisely your surmised sense - "worthless wretch" or something similar, with overtones associated with age ~ from its frequent pairing in the phrase 'old git')
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Joined: Aug 2005
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2005
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I read it once, a long time ago. Sort of with the sense of ill-begotten. The online A-H, M-W, and COED seems to agree with it though.
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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Joined: Sep 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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d'oh! I had turned off the etymology tab on my OED! Now it makes more sense, and yes, under get it has the second listing:
2. a. What is begotten; an offspring, child. Also collect. progeny. Now only of animals.
b. orig. Sc. and north. In contemptuous use = brat. Also spec. a bastard; hence as a general term of abuse: a fool, idiot. (Cf. git.) Now dial. and slang. c. OED
So the sense transition from progeny to bastard to a general term of abuse seems quite plain (compared to some other transfers over time!)
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 39
newbie
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newbie
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 39 |
Upon hearing "get", the lyric "stupid get" kept creeping up in my head till I was able to recall the song that was tormenting me. It follows: Excerpt from I'm So Tired John Lennon Quote:
I'm so tired, I'm feeling so upset
Although I'm so tired I'll have another cigarette
And curse Sir Walter Raleigh
He was such a stupid git
Excerpts from a lively BB discussion on www.songfacts.com
Yes, it is "git", common British slang, similar to "twit" in the US. By the way, he calls Sir Walter a git for popularizing tobacco in Europe: Although I'm so tired I'll have another cigarette And curse Sir Walter Raleigh He was such a stupid git
- Seth, Orono, ME
Britannie from Liverpool is so wrong. 'Get' was a commonly used insult in the 60's and 70's in the north of England. Can we put this one to bed now..I'm so tired.. it is GET not Git
- john, stoke, - -
I live in London but I was raised in Liverpool. in liverpool we say get but people in London and other parts of britain say git. so john sings get. if you don't believe me look in the book that comes with the White Album disc that includes the lyrics. it says get as well
- Luna, London, England
Actually, "git" was originally "get" and means that which is begotten--the connotation being illegitimacy. So a stupid git or get is what we in america would call a dumb b*st*rd. see http://www.takeourword.com/TOW111/page2.html
- Rick, Powhatan, VA
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Joined: Mar 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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There are two (at least) U.S. versions, too.
Yankees: get out of here!
Southerners: git outta here!
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Joined: Jun 2002
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
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yeahba, them be a verb...
formerly known as etaoin...
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 133
member
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member
Joined: Mar 2004
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I can't forget how upset I was, way back in my teens, to hear a
HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER say "FER-GIT IT"!
Apparently my English teacher had more influence.....
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