[jomar]

That is a nice trick. I've had my main email address in .config/git/config, added an override in ./.git/config for projects that need it, and checked who I am from time to time with

    [alias]
        whoami = "!f() { echo $(git config --get user.name)' <'$(git config --get user.email)'>'; }; f"

but I might switch to your less error-prone approach.

[dolmen]

Try: git var GIT_AUTHOR_IDENT

[jomar]

Handy, but is it really easier to type? Or as pleasantly reminiscent of one of the first Unix commands you ever learnt, back in the days when they actually really were multiuser machines? :-)