The term “jagoff” is more than just an insult in Pittsburgh. Here, it holds great cultural significance, but that’s not what Pete Hegseth was trying to convey during his U.S. Senate confirmation hearing.

Hegseth, former combat veteran and Fox News host, is President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary. He faced senators for the first time on Tuesday.

During the hearing, Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, asked Hegseth to explain the term “jagoff.”

“I don’t need to, sir,” he said. “The men and women watching understand.”

But he wasn’t talking about the Pittsburgh version.

“It would be a JAG officer who puts his or her own priorities in front of the war fighters — their promotions, their medals, in front of having the backs of those who are making the tough calls on the front lines,” Hegseth responded about the military position during the hearing.

A JAG officer is a member of the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps, who defend Army soldiers in legal matters, the New York Times reported.

Reed implied that Hegseth’s use of the slang term “jagoff” to refer to the officers was disrespectful, the NYT said.

Jagoff origin

In Pittsburgh speak, “jagoff” is a versatile term used to call someone stupid, irritating or annoying, according to the website yajagoff.com.

“Get off of your phone and drive, ya jagoff!” is an example of its use, the website said.

In 2017, “jagoff” was added to the Oxford English Dictionary. It’s used as a slang term in Chicago as well, according to the Times.

Social media users from the Pittsburgh area reacted to the mention of “jagoff” during the confirmation hearing on X — including a local politician.