Jack and Jill
Preserved but no longer current.
It has been suggested that the well-known nursery rhyme is a relic of a Norse myth, the two children are said to have been kidnapped by the moon while drawing water, and they are still to be seen with the bucket hanging from a pole resting on their shoulders.
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 “Jack and Jill” mean?
It has been suggested that the well-known nursery rhyme is a relic of a Norse myth, the two children are said to have been kidnapped by the moon while drawing water, and they are still to be seen with the bucket hanging from a pole resting on their shoulders.
Is “Jack and Jill” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.