Jemmy Jessamy
Preserved but no longer current.
A Jack-a-dandy; a lady's fondling, "sweet as sugar-candy." This was very different language to that she had been in the habit of hearing from her Jemmy Jessamy adorers. — THACKERAY : Barry Lyndon, ch. xiii.
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 “Jemmy Jessamy” mean?
A Jack-a-dandy; a lady's fondling, "sweet as sugar-candy." This was very different language to that she had been in the habit of hearing from her Jemmy Jessamy adorers. — THACKERAY : Barry Lyndon, ch. xiii.
Is “Jemmy Jessamy” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.