Tit

Tit (pronounced tit)

(1) Any of numerous small active old world songbirds of the family Paridae, especially those of the former genus Parus.

(2) Medieval slang for a girl or young woman thought something of a minx.

(3) A small, worthless or worn-out poor horse; a nag (archaic).

(4) Slang for a despicable or unpleasant person (archaic).

(5) Slang for a teat (used in agricultural and other circles).

(6) As tit-bit, a small morsel of food.

(7) An imperfect echoic used in the phrase “tit for tat” (thought derived from the medieval phrase “this for that”).

(8) One of the many vulgar slang terms for the female breast (although in certain contexts applied also to men and used in the phrase "taking the bull by the tits" to suggest someone is doing something wrong or misunderstands things).    

Pre 1100: Entered Middle English circa 1550 as titte, drawn from Old English titt; cognate with Middle Low German & Middle Dutch titte and existed in German as zitze, Icelandic as tittr and Norwegian as titta.  The Scandinavian forms applied to small birds and the Old English titt was a variant of teat.  The modern slang variation, attested from 1928, seems to be a recent reinvention from teat, used apparently without awareness it’s a throwback to the original form although the form is on record from 1746 as an English and Irish nursery diminutive of teat.

Tits constitute the Paridae, a large family of small birds, most of which were formerly classified in the genus Parus.  Typically known as tits in the most of English-speaking world, these birds are also called either chickadees or titmice in North America. The creatures are mainly small, stocky, woodland species with short, stout bills, some with crests.  Ranging in length between four and nine inches (100 to 220 mm), they have a mixed diet including seeds and insects and appear to have adapted well to co-habitation with humans in urban environments.

Small tits (Cyanistes teneriffae)

Great tits (Parus major)

Species in taxonomic order

Genus Cephalopyrus

Fire-capped tit Cephalopyrus flammiceps

Genus Sylviparus

Yellow-browed tit, Sylviparus modestus

Genus Melanochlora

Sultan tit, Melanochlora sultanea

Genus Periparus

Black-breasted tit or rufous-naped tit, Periparus rufonuchalis

Rufous-vented tit, Periparus rubidiventris

Coal tit, Periparus ater

Genus Pardaliparus

Yellow-bellied tit, Pardaliparus venustulus

Elegant tit, Pardaliparus elegans

Palawan tit, Pardaliparus amabilis

Genus Lophophanes

European crested tit, Lophophanes cristatus

Grey crested tit, Lophophanes dichrous

Genus Baeolophus

Bridled titmouse, Baeolophus wollweberi

Oak titmouse, Baeolophus inornatus

Juniper titmouse, Baeolophus ridgwayi

Tufted titmouse, Baeolophus bicolor

Black-crested titmouse, Baeolophus atricristatus

Genus Sittiparus

Varied tit, Sittiparus varia

Owston's tit, Sittiparus owstoni

Iriomote tit, Sittiparus olivaceus

Chestnut-bellied tit, Sittiparus castaneoventris

White-fronted tit, Sittiparus semilarvatus

Genus Poecile

White-browed tit, Poecile superciliosus

Sombre tit, Poecile lugubris

Père David's tit, Poecile davidi

Marsh tit, Poecile palustris

Caspian tit, Poecile hyrcanus

Black-bibbed tit, Poecile hypermelaenus

Willow tit, Poecile montanus

Sichuan tit Poecile weigoldicus

Carolina chickadee, Poecile carolinensis

Black-capped chickadee, Poecile atricapillus

Mountain chickadee, Poecile gambeli

Mexican chickadee, Poecile sclateri

Grey-headed chickadee, Poecile cinctus

Boreal chickadee, Poecile hudsonicus

Chestnut-backed chickadee, Poecile rufescens

Genus Cyanistes

Small tit, Cyanistes teneriffae

Eurasian blue tit, Cyanistes caeruleus

Azure tit, Cyanistes cyanus

Genus Pseudopodoces

Ground tit, Pseudopodoces humilis (previously "Hume's ground jay" in crow family Corvidae)

Genus Parus

Great tit, Parus major

Japanese tit, Parus minor (often included in Parus major)

Cinereous tit, Parus cinereus (split from Parus major)

Green-backed tit, Parus monticolus

Genus Machlolophus

White-naped tit, Machlolophus nuchalis

Yellow tit, Machlolophus holsti

Himalayan black-lored tit, Machlolophus xanthogenys

Indian black-lored tit, Machlolophus aplonotus

Yellow-cheeked tit, Machlolophus spilonotus

Genus Melaniparus

White-shouldered black tit, Melaniparus guineensis

White-winged black tit, Melaniparus leucomelas

Southern black tit, Melaniparus niger

Carp's tit, Melaniparus carpi

White-bellied tit, Melaniparus albiventris

White-backed black tit, Melaniparus leuconotus

Dusky tit, Melaniparus funereus

Rufous-bellied tit, Melaniparus rufiventris

Cinnamon-breasted tit, Melaniparus pallidiventris

Red-throated tit, Melaniparus fringillinus

Stripe-breasted tit, Melaniparus fasciiventer

Acacia tit or Somali Tit, Melaniparus thruppi

Miombo tit, Melaniparus griseiventris

Ashy tit, Melaniparus cinerascens

Grey tit, Melaniparus afer