Sometimes when reading code reviews we can find comments like this from a colleague:

auto result = std::make_pair<uint64_t, std::string>(64, "hello");;

nit: double semicolon

What is nit in a code review or in a PR?

A nit is a minor finding in a code review that doesn’t significantly affect the functionality of the code but is still technically incorrect. The term comes from ‘nitpicking.

Like a typo in a comment, a semicolon too much, or an extra empty line. The reviewer points out that this is still not correct, but probably would not want you to delay merging the pull request for it.

And here is how we should treat it: if you still work on the PR, you can fix this in one of your next commits, but don’t delay the feature or bugfix integration for it. We all know, waiting for CI can take time, and if you clog CI for this, some people might not be happy.

Infographic for code review abbreviations

I created this infographic showing common code review abbreviations. Feel free to share or download, and please let me know if you know another one that should be on this list.

More to read

To learn more about common “slang” used in code reviews, I have compiled a list in this blog post, where you find explanations to abbreviations such as +1, WIP, LGTM and others.

By Thomas, updated on Jan 31, 2025.