// Dictionary

The Fucking Git Dictionary

Git commands, translated into what they really mean.

Command	Translation	What it actually does
git init	The beginning of all your problems.Creates a new Git repository in the current folder.	Creates a new Git repository in the current folder.
git clone	Adopt someone else's problems.Downloads a repository and its whole history.	Downloads a repository and its whole history.
git status	Ask Git how bad it is.Shows changed, staged and untracked files.	Shows changed, staged and untracked files.
git add .	Everything. Even what you shouldn't.Stages every change in the current folder for the next commit.	Stages every change in the current folder for the next commit.
git push	Send your work out into the world.Uploads your local commits to the remote branch.	Uploads your local commits to the remote branch.
git push --force	Gamble with your career.Replaces the remote branch with yours, whatever is on it.	Replaces the remote branch with yours, whatever is on it.
git reset --hard	Make your problems disappear. And your work.Moves the branch and overwrites the working directory.	Moves the branch and overwrites the working directory.
git stash	Sweep your problems under the rug.Saves uncommitted changes aside and cleans the working directory.	Saves uncommitted changes aside and cleans the working directory.
git reflog	Your last hope.Journal of every position HEAD went through.	Journal of every position HEAD went through.
git cherry-pick	Steal a commit with elegance.Applies the changes of a given commit on the current branch.	Applies the changes of a given commit on the current branch.
git blame	Find someone to blame. Find yourself.Shows who last modified each line of a file.	Shows who last modified each line of a file.
git commit -m "fix"	Lie to your future self.Records staged changes with a (very unhelpful) message.	Records staged changes with a (very unhelpful) message.
git rebase -i	Rewrite history like a dictator.Reorder, squash, edit or drop commits interactively.	Reorder, squash, edit or drop commits interactively.
git merge	Marry two branches. Expect arguments.Joins the history of another branch into the current one.	Joins the history of another branch into the current one.
git bisect	Detective mode: find the guilty commit.Binary search through history to find the commit that introduced a bug.	Binary search through history to find the commit that introduced a bug.
git clean -fd	Marie Kondo, but irreversible.Deletes all untracked files and folders.	Deletes all untracked files and folders.
git pull	Open the box of surprises your colleagues left you.Fetches remote changes and merges them into your branch.	Fetches remote changes and merges them into your branch.
git checkout .	Ctrl+Z on your entire afternoon.Discards every uncommitted change in the current folder.	Discards every uncommitted change in the current folder.
git commit --amend	Pretend it never happened.Replaces the last commit with a new one.	Replaces the last commit with a new one.
git log	Read the diary of your mistakes.Lists the commit history.	Lists the commit history.
git fetch	Look at the disaster without touching it.Downloads remote commits without changing your branches or files.	Downloads remote commits without changing your branches or files.
git diff	Spot the 7 differences. There are 412.Shows line-by-line changes not yet staged.	Shows line-by-line changes not yet staged.
git revert	Apologise publicly, in writing.Creates a new commit that undoes an old one, without rewriting history.	Creates a new commit that undoes an old one, without rewriting history.
git switch	Change worlds. Hopefully with your work saved.Moves to another branch (the modern half of git checkout).	Moves to another branch (the modern half of git checkout).
git restore	Ctrl+Z, but for one file.Restores files in the working directory or the index (the other half of git checkout).	Restores files in the working directory or the index (the other half of git checkout).
git tag	Carve a date on the tree. Never move it.Gives a permanent name to a commit, usually a version number.	Gives a permanent name to a commit, usually a version number.
git remote	The list of places where your mistakes get published.Manages the remote repositories (origin, upstream…).	Manages the remote repositories (origin, upstream…).
git config	Tell Git who to blame.Reads and writes settings: identity, aliases, behaviour.	Reads and writes settings: identity, aliases, behaviour.
git worktree	Be in two places at once. Legally.Checks out another branch in a second folder of the same repository.	Checks out another branch in a second folder of the same repository.
git submodule	A repository inside a repository. Inception.Includes another repository at a fixed commit.	Includes another repository at a fixed commit.
git rm --cached	Pretend you never met.Stops tracking a file but keeps it on disk.	Stops tracking a file but keeps it on disk.
git gc	Take out the trash. Including what you wanted to recover.Compresses the repository and removes unreachable objects after a delay.	Compresses the repository and removes unreachable objects after a delay.
git rerere	Déjà vu, but useful.Remembers how you resolved a conflict and replays the resolution.	Remembers how you resolved a conflict and replays the resolution.
git lfs	A storage room for your oversized files.Stores big files outside the repository, with pointers inside.	Stores big files outside the repository, with pointers inside.
git switch -	Undo my last life choice.Goes back to the branch you were on before.	Goes back to the branch you were on before.
git restore --staged	Actually, not that one.Removes a file from the index; the changes stay on disk.	Removes a file from the index; the changes stay on disk.
git stash pop	Bring back what I hid, and hope.Applies the latest stash and deletes it (kept if there is a conflict).	Applies the latest stash and deletes it (kept if there is a conflict).
git reset --soft HEAD~1	I didn't mean to commit. Yet.Undoes the last commit and keeps its changes staged.	Undoes the last commit and keeps its changes staged.
git branch -D	Delete it. I said DELETE IT.Deletes a local branch even if its work isn't merged anywhere.	Deletes a local branch even if its work isn't merged anywhere.
git push --force-with-lease	Force, but politely.Force push that refuses to overwrite commits you haven't seen.	Force push that refuses to overwrite commits you haven't seen.
git commit --fixup	A patch for my patch.Creates a commit marked to be merged into another one by rebase --autosquash.	Creates a commit marked to be merged into another one by rebase --autosquash.
git merge --abort	Pretend this merge never happened.Stops a merge with conflicts and goes back to the state before it.	Stops a merge with conflicts and goes back to the state before it.
git rebase --abort	Ctrl+Z for a rebase.Cancels a rebase in progress and restores the branch as it was.	Cancels a rebase in progress and restores the branch as it was.
git log --oneline	The history, in tweet format.One line per commit: short hash and message.	One line per commit: short hash and message.
git shortlog -sn	The leaderboard.Number of commits per author.	Number of commits per author.
git fsck	Git's medical check-up.Checks the object database and lists lost commits.	Checks the object database and lists lost commits.
git sparse-checkout	I only want my corner of the monorepo.Checks out only the folders you choose.	Checks out only the folders you choose.
git describe	Which version am I, really?Names a commit from the nearest tag (v1.2.0-3-gabc123).	Names a commit from the nearest tag (v1.2.0-3-gabc123).
git archive	Zip it, without the .git.Creates a zip/tar of a commit's files, without the history.	Creates a zip/tar of a commit's files, without the history.
gh pr create	Please accept my code. I'm begging.Opens a pull request from the current branch (GitHub CLI).	Opens a pull request from the current branch (GitHub CLI).
gh pr checkout	Let me see your mess up close.Downloads a pull request's branch and switches to it.	Downloads a pull request's branch and switches to it.
gh pr merge --squash	47 commits enter, 1 comes out.Merges the PR as a single commit on the base branch.	Merges the PR as a single commit on the base branch.
git request-pull	A pull request, the 2005 way.Generates a text summary asking someone to pull your branch (the email ancestor of PRs).	Generates a text summary asking someone to pull your branch (the email ancestor of PRs).
git range-diff	Spot the difference, rebase edition.Compares two versions of a series of commits, e.g. a PR before and after a force push.	Compares two versions of a series of commits, e.g. a PR before and after a force push.
git merge --squash	Hide the drafts, keep the result.Brings a branch's changes as one uncommitted change, to commit as a single commit.	Brings a branch's changes as one uncommitted change, to commit as a single commit.