| Word | Definition |
Jack | A pet form of John, used in many senses and combinations. Especially, Jack, a name for a representative of the common people. Every man Jack, every single one. Hence, a low-bred or ill-mannered fellow; William Shakespeare uses it several times in this sense (MERCHANT OF VENICE, 1597, bragging Jacks; RICHARD III; ROMEO AND JULIET: ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA). To play the jack, to play mean tricks; THE TEMPEST: Your fairy , . . has done little better than plaid the Jacke with us. Also, the figure of a man that strikes the bell on a clock; Jack o' the clock (RICHARD II) . In musical instruments (virginal, spinet, harpsichord) , an upright piece of wood on the back of the key-lever: press the key, the jack rises and an attached quill plucks the string. Shakespeare uses it as though it were the key: How oft, he says in SONNET 128, Do I envie those jackes that nimble leape To kisse the tender inward of thy hand. A measure of drink, half a pint (1787, Yorkshire); a quarter of a pint (1877, Lincolnshire), apparently as thirsts shrank. In this sense, half the northern Gill (associated in many references to Jack and Jill, in various senses) . Shakespeare in THE TAMING OF THE SHREW (1593) puns on jacks and jills, boys and girls, and measures for drinks (jugs) in Grumio's ordering tike household preparations: Be the jacks fair within, the jills fair without, the carpets laid, and everything in order? In the old game of bowls (somewhat like the Scotch curling), a jack was a smaller bowl for the players to hit; Shakespeare says in CYMBELINE: Was there ever man had such lucke? When I kist the jacke upon an upcast, to be hit away? This was also called the jack-bowl. Other uses, in combination, include: Jack among the maids, a gallant, a ladies' man. Jack at a pinch, one always ready, a handy person. Jack in office, a pompous, self-important petty office-holder. Jack in the low cellar, an unborn babe. Jacks o' both sides, "clawbacks and pickthanks," fellows that smile on both of two rivals or rival parties. Jack-o'-the-green, a figure of the May-pole gaiety, decked with ribands and flowers, carrying a garlanded staff. Jack's alive, a 19th century game: a burning piece of paper or match is passed around; whoever is offered it must accept it; the one in whose hand it burns up or goes out must pay a forfeit. Until then, each one receiving it cries "Jack's alive!" There was also a jack, short for jacket, used from the 14th century for a sleeveless, padded leather jacket worn by soldiers and in fencing. It is probably from this that the waxed leather jug was called a jack. To the buttery-hatch, said MUCEDORUS (1598), to Thomas the butler for a jack of beer. jack-a~dandy, a conceited, affected fellow, a fop; jack-a-dandyism. |
Jack Ketch | The hangman. Jack Ketch (Catch, Kitch) was the common executioner from about 1665 to 1686; he seemed so bloodthirsty when the Duke of Monmouth and other political offenders were executed that his name was given to the hangman in the Punch and Judy show, newly introduced (Punchinello) from Italy; thereafter, it became the common term for an executioner, especially in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. |
Jack-a-lantern | Originally, a night watchman. Also a will-o'-the-wisp, friar's lantern; hence, something misleading or elusive. Also jackalentern, jack-o'-lantern, jack-a-lanthorn. Richard Brinsley Sheridan in THE RIVALS (1775) has: I have followed Cupid's jack-a-lantern, and find myself in a quagmire. Rarely used as a verb: Meredith in ONE OF OUR CONQUERORS (1891) pictured: His puckish fancy jack-o'-lanterning over it. |
Jack-a-Lent | A figure shaped like a man, set up to be thrown at, originally during Lent; later, at amusement parks. Also jack-a-lent; ]ack~o'-Lent. Hence, a butt; also, a puppet; a contemptible person. William Shakespeare in THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR (1598) has: See now how wit may be made a jacke-a-Lent when 'tis upon ill imployment . . . You little jack-a-Lent, have you bin true to us? |
Jackpudding | A buffoon; especially, a clown serving a mountebank. Also as an adjective, jackpudding nonsense. Used since the 17th century. Also jackpuddinghood Cp. bagpudding. Henry Fielding in THE COVENT GARDEN JOURNAL (1752) protested that writers are not . . . to be considered as mere jackpuddings, whose business it is to excite laughter. |
Jactation | A restless tossing of the body. From Latin .jactare, frequentative of iacere, to throw. Even in Roman times the verb developed the sense of tossing words about; that is, of boasting; hence in English jactation, boasting, ostentatious display. Jactator (17th and 18th centuries) , a boaster. Hence also jactance (from the 15th century) , jactancy (from the 17th) boastfulness, vainglory. The Latin developed still another form, jactitare, to throw out publicly, often with implication of a false statement to harm someone; hence also in English jactitation, a boastful public declaration: especially jactitation of marriage, false declaration that one is married to a person, for the advantages that may ensue. There were laws covering this in England for four centuries; the DAILY NEWS recorded a case in 1892. |
Jagger | A fish peddler |
Jakes | A privy. See ajax. In William Shakespeare's KING LEAR (1605) we find both forms: I will tread this unbolted villain into mortar, and daub the wall of a jakes with him . , . . None of these rogues and cowards but Ajax is their fool. The word is short for Jacques' house (Jack's house; Jack being a common term for man. Today we make similar reference to the John) A jakes-farmer, cleaner of the jakes. |
Jar | This was originally an echoic word, meaning to make a harsh sound. Similar are charre, gorre, churr, chirr, chirk, chark. Jar was also used of a clock's ticking;William Shakespeare in RICHARD II (1593) has: My thoughts are minutes and with sighs they jarre Their watches on unto mine eyes. By extension, to jar, to wrangle, to dispute; Christopher Marlowe in HERO AND LEANDER (finished by George Chapman; 1598) says that Hero's lookes yeelded, but her words made warre; Women are won when they begin to jarre. Thus having swallow'd Cupid's golden hooke, The more she striv'd the deeper was she strooke. |
Jaunce | Listed in the Sussex dialect GLOSSARY of 1875 as meaning a weary journey. That was the original meaning of jaunt (which now means a light and easy pleasure trip) . However, the verb jaunce (16th century) meant to make a horse prance up and down, to cavort; and jaunce in the second Quarto of William Shakespeare's ROMEO AND JULIET (1592) may be an error for jaunte; the first Folio has jaunt: Lord how my bones ake; fie what a jaunce have I had! Carlyle in REMINISCENCES (1866) said of a honeymooner, He was on his marriage jaunt. |
Javaris | A swine in America, which has its navel upon its back. So Nathan Bailey's DICTIONARY (1751) ; our folklorists might make something of this back-bellied critter, which the O.E.D. ignores. The nearest the DICTIONARY OF AMERICANISMS (1951) can come is to list the javalina (havalena), a piglike animal of the Southwest. |
Javel | A rascal. Also jawvell, jevel, javilL Likewise havel, cavel, a worthless fellow; possibly from cavel, a stick of wood. Used since the 14th century. Edmund Spenser in MOTHER HUBBERDS TALE (1591) noted that Expired had the terme, that these two javels Should render up a reckning of their travels. William Roper reported (THE LIFE OF SYR THOMAS MORE; 1557) that when More was preparing himself for his execution (the executioner by custom receiving the clothes the victim wore), as one that had bine invited to some solempne feaste, chaunged himself into his best apparell, which Master Lieutenant espienge, advised him to put it off, sayenge that he that should have it was but a javill. "What, Master Lieutenant," quoth he, "shall I accompte him a javill that shall doe me this day so singuler a benefit? -- Javel was also, In the 15th and 16th centuries, a northern word for jail; javeler, jailer. A wordbook of 1483 reads: a javelle, gaola, ubi a presone. |
Jejune | It is not this word, but its meaning, that is frequently forgotten. It has no connection with juvenile, being from Latin jejunum, fasting, abstinent; hence, barren, feeble; spiritless, dry; insignificant, trifling. It developed these meanings in Latin, and carried them all into English. Thus J. Beale in the PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS of 1670 wrote of poor and jejune people, who are accustomed to drinks almost as weak as water. The most frequent application of the word is to speech or writing that seems dull, insipid, flat. Hence jejunery (rare) ; jejuneness, jejunity. The 'seconde subtyll gutte' (1398) of the intestine is called the jejunum because it is usually found empty in autopsies. |
Jemmy | (1) A dandy, a fop. Also, in the phrase Jemmy Jessamy (Jessamine) an effeminate or great fop. In the 18th century, a scale of eight degrees of sophisticate was listed; a greenhorn, jemmy, jessamy, bright, flash, puzz, pizz, and a. smart. (2) a riding-boot. (3) a light cane. A London street cry of the 18th century was: Come buy my pret-pret-pretty leetle jem-em-em-emmy sticks! (4) a great-coat (5) a burglar's crowbar. See Jessamy. Jemmy is a pet-form of the name James. In all these meanings, the form jimmy was sometimes used; for the 5th, jimmy has survived. |
Jentacular | Relating to breakfast. Latin ientare, to breakfast. Amherest, in his TERRAE FILIUS: OR THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD (1721) declared: Nothing more . . . can be expected from these jentacular confabulations. Alexander Knox in a letter to Jebb (1811) wrote: I therefore wish to close at this ante-jentacular hour. Hence jentation, breakfasting, breakfast Jeremy Bentham (died 1832) used to speak of his exercises in his garden as his antejentacular and postprandial circumgyrations. The O.E.D. gives only 19th century references for prandial (Latin prandium, luncheon), dinner and postprandial, the latter mainly jocular: postprandial potations, postprandial oratory. In Latin prandium (prae, before + dies, day) originally was breakfast; then, a late breakfast, usually of bread with fish or cold meats, eaten near noon; in England noon was at first the dinner hour. HARPER'S MAGAZINE for July 1883 spoke of expenses legal, medical, funereal and prandial. |
Jess | A short strap, fastened one to each leg of a hunting hawk; on its free end was a ring to which the leash was attached. Also ges (plural gesses), chess, gest. Also used figuratively as in William Shakespeare's OTHELLO (III iii; 1604) and Richard Brathwait's THE ENGLISH GENTLEMAN (1631): Intangled with the light chesses of vanity. |
Jessamy | A form of jessamine, jasmine. Hence, a yellow color; a perfume of jasmine. By extension (one that perfumes himself, or wears a sprig of jessamine), a dandy, fop. See Jemmy. Another list than given there names the eight degrees of sporting sophisticate (1753): greenhorn, jemmy, jessamy, smart, honest fellow, joyous spirit, buck, and blood. |
Jetto | The spurt of water, or an opening therefor, in a fountain. French jet d'eau; jeter, to throw + d'eau, of water. John Evelyn recorded in his DIARY for 22 October, 1644: The garden has . . . fountaines, especially one of five jettos. |
Jetton | A counter; an early form of the chips for calculating the score in cardgames. It was a piece of metal, ivory, etc., with an inscription or design; hence, a token, a medal. From French jeter, to cast; to cast up, calculate. The jetton became a collectors' item; Snelling in 1769 wrote a book entitled View of the Origin, Nature, and Use of Jettons or Counters, especially Those Known by the Name of Black Money and Abbey Pieces. |
Jill | As Jill, a common name for a girl: every Jack shall have his Jill -- whether or not she come tumbling after. It is a variant of Gill, short for Gillian, Juliana, a very common Middle English name. By deterioration, jill (also gill; jillet, jelot, gillot; and gillver from gilliflower, q.v.) came to mean a giddy or flighty girl, a jilt; then, a loose woman. The original sense of jilt was a non-virgin; a strumpet; a kept woman; the current sense in to jilt, to raise hopes in love then cast off, may be of another origin. John Taylor, The Water Poet, (WORKS; 1630) tells: But the mad rascall, when hee's five parts drunke, Cals her his drab, his queane, his jill, or punke, And in his fury 'gins to royle and rore, Then with full mouth, he truely calls her whore. |
Jockteleg | A large clasp knife. This word was used mainly in Scotland and northern England, from the 17th into the 19th century. It took various forms: jactaleg, jackylegs, jockylegs, and the like. There is an unverified suggestion that such knives were imported, and first made by Jacques de Liege, whence by corruption jockteleg. It is more likely that the large knife was worn at the side of the leg, jack being a word commonly applied to many tools. For quotation, see keelvine. |
Jocund | Cheerful, merry, gay. A common word, especially favored by poets, since Chaucer's TO ROSEMOUNDE (1380) : Therewith ye ben so mery and so jocunde. The o came into the word by association with Latin jocus, joke, jest; the word is from Latin jucundus, pleasant, from juvare, to help, to please. Hence also the rare English forms jucund, jucundity (16th, 17th, 18th centuries). Jocund was used by Shakespeare (ROMEO AND JULIET, 1592: Jocond day Stands tiptoe on the misty mountains' tops) , by John Milton (L'ALLEGRO, 1632: And the jocond rebecks sound), by Walter Scott and more. Also jocundary; and the nouns jocundity, jocundness, jocundry. With Milton let us call the Muses to favour our close jocondrie -- or if we must, say with George Gordon Byron We'll wear our fetters jocundly. |
Joint-stool | A stool with the parts joined (fitted) together, as made by a skilled hand. In 16th to 18th century expressions, (possibly with reference to the new-style privy or close stool) used to ridicule or insult: I cry you mercy, I took you for a joint-stool; used by John Lyly (1594), Shakespeare, allusively in THE TAMING OF THE SHREW (1596) and in full in KING LEAR, and more. |
Jonathan | (1) An instrument for lighting pipes (19th century) . (2) A stand for holding toast and the like, with legs, but also hooks, so that it may be hung on a grate. (3) Brother Jonathan, the United States collectively, as John Bull for England; or a representative citizen. Said to be Washington's appellation (recalling the BIBLE: SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL, i) for Jonathan Trumbull, Governor of Connecticut. James Russell Lowell in THE BIGLOW PAPERS (1848) contrasted the English and the American: To move John you must make your fulcrum of solid beef and pudding; an abstract idea will do for Jonathan. Now Brother Jonathan has given way to Uncle Sam. |
Jordan | A pot or bottle used by alchemists and medieval doctors. Often used to hold urine for analysis; hence, a chamber-pot. So used by Chaucer (1886) and William Shakespeare (HENRY IV, PART ONE; 1596; II i). By extension, as a term of abuse, a dolt, a foolish fellow. |
Jorum | A large drinking-bowl, a punchbowl; the contents thereof; especially, a bowl of punch. From the 18th century (Henry Fielding; Oliver Goldsmith1 in SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER, I773: Then come put the jorum about, And let us be merry and clever) Also used to mean a large quantity, as when ST. JAMES'S MAGAZINE of December 1872 speaks of someone's being treated to a jorum of gossip. |
Jouissance | (1) Possession (of something good) , enjoyment (of) ; pleasure, delight. French jouissance; jouir, to enjoy; Latin gaudere, to rejoice. All our joy and rejoicing come from the same source. The English word was also spelled jouisance, joysaunce, jouysaunce, and the like, Edmund Spenser in THE SHEPHERD'S CALENDAR (1579) is glad To see those folkes make such jouysaunce. The 17th century misread the old u -- u being often used for v --and spelled the word jovisaunce (as in jovial, which, however came from Jove, Jupiter, and meant the disposition of one born under the influence of the planet Jupiter) in editions of Spenser and elsewhere, as in GOD'S PLEA (1657) by Reeve; We cannot abdicate wonted jovisances. |
Journeyman | One who had served his apprenticeship and mastered his craft, not bound to serve a master, but hired by the day. |
Joyner | Also Joiner. A skilled carpenter. |
Jugulate | To slit the throat of, to slay. Latin jugulum, collar-bone, throat, neck. Also jugulator, cut-throat. Ivor Brown in A WORD IN YOUR EAR (1945) suggests that William Makepeace Thackeray was thinking of Elizabethan songs --"Cuckoo, jug-jug, pu-we, to-witta-woo" when he spoke of the jugulation of a pseudosongstress. |
Jumbal | A sweet cake, made since the 17th century. Also jumble. Often baked in the form of rolls or rings; Holmes in ELSIE VENNER (1860) speaks of hearts and rounds, and jumbles, which playful youth slip over the forefinger before spoiling their annular outline with a bite. A recipe from THE CLOSET OF RARETIES (1706): Take a pound of fine wheat flower', and as much white sugar, mix them into a paste with the beaten whites of eggs; put to the paste a pound of blanched almonds well beaten, and, half a pound of sweet butter; add half a pint of cream, and so mould it all well together with a little rosewater. Shape them into forms, and bake them in a gentle oven. |
Justaucorps | A tight-fitting garment; especially, a woman's outer garment of the 17th century. Also justacor, justycoat; chesticore, and more. From the French juste, right + au corps, to the body. Samuel Pepys in his DIARY for 26 April, 1667, has the entry: With her velvet cap . . . and a black just-au-corps. THE WESTMINSTER GAZETTE of 28 July, 1896, observed that in the Pyrenees the women look gorgeous in red justaucorps. |
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