This post explains the meaning of NIT / NITS in code reviews and explores its origins.
Introduction
In code reviews, you might come across the term "NIT" or "NITS."
Even if you understand its meaning, you may not be familiar with its origins. So, I decided to dig deeper.
Note: This article was translated from my original post.
Meaning of NIT / NITS
NIT / NITS is used to indicate minor suggestions.
For example, when pointing out typos or minor code style issues, you might write something like: nit: XXX...
Origin of NIT / NITS
So, where does NIT / NITS come from?
It appears to originate from the word nitpick.
Among the sources I found, the ChromiumOS Docs provided the clearest explanation:
nit: short for “nitpick”; refers to a trivial suggestion such as style issues
Ref. ChromiumOS Docs
The word nitpick originally referred to the act of manually removing lice eggs (nits) from someone's hair.
Before modern hygiene practices, this was a common routine:
The terminology originates from the common act of manually removing nits (the eggs of lice, generally head lice) from another person's hair.
Conclusion
That's a summary of the meaning and origin of NIT / NITS.
In Japanese, a similar expression would be "重箱の隅をつつく" (picking at the corners of a bento box—meaning to nitpick over trivial details).
I also found it interesting to learn about the historical practice of removing lice eggs by hand.
