“On the other hand we have Lister. Who, and let’s be fair to him, is a complete git.”
-Rimmer - Red Dwarf
As you may know, Linus Torvalds, who created Git as the version control system for Linux, has a famous habit of naming his creations after himself.
Linux = Linus + Unix
Git's derivation is a bit more interesting. From Wikipedia:
Torvalds quipped about the name git (which means unpleasant person in British English slang): "I'm an egotistical bastard, and I name all my projects after myself. First 'Linux', now 'git'."[17][18] The man page describes Git as "the stupid content tracker".[19] The readme file of the source code elaborates further:[20]The name "git" was given by Linus Torvalds when he wrote the very first version. He described the tool as "the stupid content tracker" and the name as (depending on your way):
- - random three-letter combination that is pronounceable, and not actually used by any common UNIX command. The fact that it is a mispronunciation of "get" may or may not be relevant.
- - stupid. contemptible and despicable. simple. Take your pick from the dictionary of slang.
- - "global information tracker": you're in a good mood, and it actually works for you. Angels sing, and a light suddenly fills the room.
- - "g*dd*mn idiotic truckload of sh*t": when it breaks