What it means
Eejit is a soft, affectionate way of calling someone an idiot after they've done something daft, clumsy, or wildly obvious. It's usually more warm ribbing than a proper insult, the sort of word you'd throw at a mate, your brother, or yourself when your brain's gone out for a smoke.
Usage examples
"I legged it to the shop and realised I’d left my wallet on the table. Ma goes, You eejit, so you did, come back here."
"Ya great eejit, you've put the milk in the cupboard and the cornflakes in the fridge again."
"I locked myself out twice in one day, felt like a right eejit standing there in the rain."
"You absolute eejit, I told you the tea was behind you and you still opened every cupboard in the house."
"Dropped my phone straight into the sink and just stood there laughing like an eejit."
Where it comes from
Eejit is a Hiberno-English and Scots form of idiot, written to match the local pronunciation. It shows up in Irish and Scottish speech and writing as a phonetic spelling, then grew into its own little creature of a word, one that sounds far softer and more affectionate than the standard insult.
Other ways to say it
Editors of this term
Your vote counts
Is this real street talk or have we lost the plot? Cast your vote.
We look after this expression together
If they say it where you live and something is missing here, bring it. A magikito looks at it and adds it.
- An example
- Your patch
- Your voice