jenny
An instrument for lifting up the grate or top of a show-glass, in order to rob it. CANT.
English · UK & Ireland 231
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Where will you be? Anywhere UK & IrelandUnited StatesOnline slangBusiness jargon
Expressions you’ll hear in Britain and Ireland — distinctly British usage first, then widespread staples.
jenny linder
A winder,—vulgar pronunciation of window.
jeremiad
A lament; derived, of course, from the Book of Lamentations, written by the Prophet Jeremiah.
jeremy diddler
An adept at raising the wind, i.e., at borrowing, especially at borrowing with no intention of repaying. See the farce of Raising the Wind.
jericho
An improper quarter of Oxford. A lady visitor once writing her name down in the visitors’ book at the Bodleian or elsewhere, for a joke put down her residence as "Jericho," to the no small disgust of her undergraduate friend.—University.
jerry
A chamber utensil; abbreviation of JEROBOAM.—Swift.
jerry shop
A beer-house. Contraction of "Tom and Jerry."
jerry-go-nimble
The diarrhœa. Derivation apparent.
jerrycummumble
To shake, towzle, or tumble about.
jessamy
A smart jemmy fellow, a fopling.
jessie
"to give a person JESSIE," to beat him soundly. See GAS.
jesuitical
Sly, evasive, equivocal. A jesuitical answer; an equivocal answer.
jet
A lawyer. Autem jet; a parson.
jew
An over-reaching dealer, or hard, sharp fellow; an extortioner: the brokers formerly behind St. Clement's church in the Strand were called Jews by their brethren the taylors.
jew fencer
A Jew street salesman.
jew's eye
That's worth a Jew's eye; a pleasant or agreeable sight: a saying taken from Shakespeare.
jezebel
A showily-dressed woman of suspected character; derived, of course, from 2 Kings ix. 30, but applied in this sense from the time of the Puritans. Also, a hot-tempered female.
jib
A first-year man.—Dublin University.
jibb
The tongue.—Gipsy and Hindoo. (Tramps’ term.) Thence extended to mean language.
jibber the kibber
A method of deceiving seamen, by fixing a candle and lanthorn round the neck of a horse, one of whose fore feet is tied up; this at night has the appearance of a ship's light. Ships bearing towards it, run on shore, and being wrecked, are plundered by the inhabitants. This diabolical device is, it is said, practised by the inhabitants of our western coasts.
jiffy
"in a JIFFY," in a moment.
jig
A trick. A pleasant jig; a witty arch trick. Also a lock or door. The feather-bed jig; copulation.
jigger
A whipping-post. CANT.
jigger
A door; "dub the JIGGER," shut the door. Ancient cant, GYGER. In billiards, the bridge or rest is often termed the JIGGER. Also, the curtain of a theatre. JIGGER has many meanings, the word being applied to any small mechanical contrivance. Printers use the word for a little machine which guides the eye when copy is minute.
jigger-dubber
A term applied to a gaoler or turnkey.
jiggot o’ mutton
A leg of mutton. From Fr. GIGOT.
jilt
A tricking woman, who encourages the addresses of a man whom she means to deceive and abandon.
jilt
A crowbar or house-breaking implement.
jilted
Rejected by a woman who has encouraged one's advances.
jingle boxes
Leathern jacks tipped with silver, and hung with bells, formerly in use among fuddle caps. CANT.
jingle brains
A wild, thoughtless, rattling fellow.
jinglers
Horse cosers, frequenting country fairs.
jingo
"by JINGO," a common form of oath, said to be a corruption of ST. GINGOULPH. Vide Halliwell.
jo
Scotticism for a man or lover. As "John Anderson, my JO, John."
job
Any robbery. To do a job; to commit some kind of robbery.
job
"a JOB lot," otherwise called a "sporting lot," any miscellaneous goods purchased at a cheap rate, or to be sold a bargain. Frequently used to conceal the fact of their being stolen, or otherwise dishonestly obtained.
job's comfort
Reproof instead of consolation.
job's comforter
A boil.
job's dock
He is laid up in Job's dock; i.e. in a salivation. The apartments for the foul or venereal patients in St. Bartholomew's hospital, are called Job's ward.
jobation
A chiding, a reprimand, a trial of the hearer’s patience.
jobbery
The arrangement of jobs, or unfair business proceedings.
job’s turkey
"as poor as JOB’S TURKEY," as thin and as badly fed as that ill-conditioned and imaginary bird.
jockum gage
A chamber-pot, jordan, looking-glass, or member-mug. CANT.
jocteleg
A shut-up knife. Corruption of Jacques de Liège, a famous cutler.
joe
A too marvellous tale, a lie, or a stale joke. Abbreviated from JOE MILLER. The full name is occasionally used, as in the phrase "I don’t see the JOE MILLER of it," i.e., I don’t perceive the wit you intend, or I don’t see the fun of doing it,—whatever may have been the request.
joey
A fourpenny piece. The term is derived (like BOBBY from Sir Robert Peel) from Joseph Hume. The explanation is thus given in Hawkins’s History of the Silver Coinage of England:—
jog-trot
A slow but regular trot, or pace.
jogg-trot
To keep on a jogg-trot; to get on with a slow but regular pace.
jogul
To play up, at cards or other game. Spanish, JUGAR.
John Thomas
The penis.
johnny
Half-a-glass of whisky.—Irish.
johnny bum
A he or jack ass: so called by a lady that affected to be extremely polite and modest, who would not say Jack because it was vulgar, nor ass because it was indecent.
johnny darbies
A nickname for policemen, an evident corruption of the French GENSDARMES. Also, a term applied to handcuffs.—See DARBIES.
johnson’s
(Dr. Samuel) Dictionary (the earlier editions). V. D.
joint
To hit a joint in carving, the operator must think of a cuckold. To put one's nose out of joint; to rival one in the favour of a patron or mistress.
jolly
A Royal Marine.—See HORSE MARINE.
jolly dog
A merry facetious fellow; a BON VIVANT, who never flinches from his glass, nor cries to go home to bed.
jolter head
A large head; metaphorically a stupid fellow.
jomer
A sweetheart, or favourite girl. See BLOWER.
jonnick
Right, correct, proper. Said of a person or thing.