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Preserved but no longer current.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.
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.