English · Idiom Historical

Diamond Jim

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

Jim Brady, an American railway magnate who liked to cover his person with diamonds of great size in the form of rings, buttons, tie pins, etc.

Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)

Sources & notes

Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.

Topics: Gold & silver Historical slang (1800s)

Common questions

What does “Diamond Jim” mean?

Jim Brady, an American railway magnate who liked to cover his person with diamonds of great size in the form of rings, buttons, tie pins, etc.

Is “Diamond Jim” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.

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