this post was submitted on 12 Feb 2026
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GIMP

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Honest to gods, this conversation happened today, and it may have cost me a job opportunity. The customer was super impressed with my menu design and animation, and wanted to know who we got it from. When I said I did it, their face lit up! Too bad as soon as i said GIMP, they weren't interested anymore. Has anyone else experienced this? What do you say in similar situations?

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[–] synapse1278@lemmy.world 24 points 1 day ago (2 children)

It's pronounced "JIMP" 😌

[–] smeenz@lemmy.nz 1 points 20 hours ago

Like gif, right?

[–] Bruhh@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago

"What's a gimp suit?" 🤷‍♂️

[–] m4xie@lemmy.ca 7 points 1 day ago

"like the suit?"

"I wouldn't know, I'm not into men's formal wear."

[–] mvirts@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

Gotta whip out "The GNU Image Manipulation Program" or just say "an open source image editor like Photoshop" or just say Photoshop of you are speaking to the wrong audience.

[–] abigscaryhobo@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I'd just follow up in the same sentence with "it's an Adobe alternative". People tend to fix on the last thing in a sentence so they'll just ask why you don't use that instead.

[–] KneeTitts@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I just say Imp now, if they ask I say it stands for image manipulation tool

[–] Crozekiel@lemmy.zip 3 points 1 day ago

That'd be IMT.

Embrace it.

[–] Furbag@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Having an acronym within an acronym feels like it should be illegal...

[–] Hupf@feddit.org 13 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Check out what GNU stands for then. Infinite recursion time.

[–] Alatain@lemmy.world 2 points 19 hours ago
[–] ssfckdt@lemmy.blahaj.zone 16 points 1 day ago

Somebody had a cosmetic fork at one point called Glimpse.

The GIMP devs are downright fucking fascistic about never ever changing the name. Just suggesting it will get you unholy hellflame.

[–] JcbAzPx@lemmy.world 2 points 23 hours ago

You need to use the soft 'g' like gif.

[–] Zacryon@feddit.org 13 points 1 day ago

I once searched for "gimp mask", as I wanted to learn something about the masking features in the software. Well, as a non-native english speaker, I was quite amused about the results.

[–] onnekas@sopuli.xyz 10 points 1 day ago

I know it's not easy for everyone but I think if one would say "GIMP!" with bit more confidence it would already help a lot.

Instead of doing the awkward:
"I-I use G-Gim.." sweats nervously "uummm Gimp.. It stands for GNU Image..." ÜwÜ

Alternatively just say "I edit/create the images myself and use Canva to animate it"

[–] hanrahan@slrpnk.net 16 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

I pronounce it Jimp... for this reason ...and there's precedent with Gif.

"Creatives Opensource Creat Kit" would be better

[–] AA5B@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

there’s precedent with Gif.

[–] ICastFist@programming.dev 4 points 1 day ago

Creators' UNified Toolkit

[–] Alberat@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago (3 children)

also latex lol i always google things like "red colored text latex" and get pictures of people in latex suits

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[–] bekopharm@discuss.tchncs.de 9 points 1 day ago

Seriously, Why ICE american(s), Why??

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DB_403_026_2024-08-02_JM_5D413719.jpg

We liked our ICE perfectly well. Nowadays I can't even mention to a customer that I like trains.

[–] rumba@lemmy.zip 39 points 1 day ago (2 children)

GIMP but pronounce it JIMP, like GIF

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Now it sounds like a piece of IKEA furniture.

Enjoy our all new JÏMP chair.

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[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk 6 points 1 day ago
[–] llii@discuss.tchncs.de 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

We need something like blender to happen to GIMP, including a name change.

[–] KneeTitts@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Well they did move to python with version 3, step in the right direction from a development standpoint

[–] Sam_Bass@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

Sense of absurdist humor, thats why

[–] Stern@lemmy.world 16 points 1 day ago

what are you gonna do, ask for a refund?

[–] VitoRobles@lemmy.today 46 points 2 days ago (11 children)

Anyone who tried to bring GIMP into nonprofits and schools dealt with this problem. I cannot explain how many uncomfortable conversations I had with non-technical people.

And the defenders will continue to say GIMP's name is fine and still be shocked of the low adoption rate.

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 6 points 1 day ago

That has to be a US thing there's no way anyone else is like that.

I work for a pretty button-down organisation and frankly they're ridiculously obsessive about corporate stuff but even they wouldn't blink at Gimp.

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[–] echodot@feddit.uk 2 points 1 day ago

Also see Git.

[–] rumba@lemmy.zip 15 points 1 day ago (2 children)

They OBV have never cared. But it's probably one of the larger reasons it's never taken off in business. Just requesting it in some places would get you an HR violation.

[–] wer2@lemmy.zip 4 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

My company provides GIMP to its employees. Turns out they care more about paying zero than a silly name.

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[–] underscores@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The naming of tooling really matters, no one would use a software called cucked or rwrod whatever.

This shouldn't even be a discussion, this idiotic meme name probably had a massive impact on OSS software and it's perception by the public and I'm not even trying to exaggerate or joke.

[–] rumba@lemmy.zip 4 points 1 day ago

It's the downside of volunteer-based work. There's noone to tell them no :)

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