jit

Jit means a kid or a young person. It can also mean a rookie, someone new and inexperienced. “This jit” is a casual way to talk about a younger guy.

What jit means

Merriam-Webster defines jit as a young person or kid, and sometimes specifically a young person who is new to something, like a rookie. Most of the time it’s neutral or even affectionate (“this jit is talented”). Merriam-Webster notes it can have a slightly negative edge when the young person is acting foolish or out of line.

Examples

• “This jit just hit a three from half court.”
• “The jits at the skatepark are better than me.”
• “You’re a jit, you don’t remember flip phones.”

Where jit came from

Jit comes from African American English and is especially associated with Florida. Merriam-Webster says online use goes back to the early 2000s, but the word is older: it cites a 1993 St. Petersburg Times article and a 1994 South Florida Sun-Sentinel article in which “Jit” is described as short for “jitterbug.” Wiktionary also records an older, originally prison-slang sense: an inexperienced, foolhardy young man.

Florida rappers, including Kodak Black and YNW Melly, helped spread it nationally, Merriam-Webster says, and Gen Alpha picked it up online.

Related terms

• Unc: the opposite, an older guy.
• Noob: a beginner, in gaming.
• OG: a veteran.
• Bruh: a reaction, or a way to address a friend.

See more terms like this in our Gen Alpha slang guide.