Eejit
A foolish or daft person - but never quite an insult. An eejit is doing something silly, not lacking intelligence. The word is almost always affectionate, often self-applied ('I was an eejit for not bringing a coat'), and is the standard Hiberno-English alternative to 'idiot'.
Etymology
A respelling of 'idiot' that captures the Hiberno-English and Scottish English pronunciation: 'idiot' as spoken with the Irish rendering of 'd' and 'i' sounds /ˈiːdʒət/. Latin 'idiota' (a private person, hence an unlearned one) via Greek 'idiōtēs'; the modern 'eejit' spelling is attested from 1955 onwards, though the pronunciation it captures is far older.
In a sentence
And he hadn't done his homework, let alone his extra homework. Eejit. Eejit. - Jennifer Johnston, Shadows on Our Skin
You're the biggest eejit this side of Cork. - William Trevor, Fools of Fortune
Historical notes
Eejit and idiot do not mean the same thing in Hiberno-English. 'Idiot' carries weight and clinical history; 'eejit' is for behaviour, not intelligence. You call a friend an eejit for leaving the umbrella on the bus, not for failing an exam. The word's reach has grown through Father Ted's relentless use of it in the 1990s, to the point that the Northern Ireland Assembly has ruled 'eejit' parliamentary - that is, allowable in a debate where 'idiot' might not be.
Sources
- Oxford English Dictionary, entry eejit n. (etymon: idiot). · dictionary
- Dolan, Terence Patrick. A Dictionary of Hiberno-English. Gill Books. · dictionary
- Carey, Stan. 'Ijit, idjit, eejit, idiot.' Sentence First, 22 July 2011. · other