shivering Jemmy
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Sense 1
A person who goes half-naked on the streets in order to beg for money.
Register: slang
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
the name given by street-folk to any cadger who exposes himself, half naked, on a cold day, to obtain alms. The "game" is unpleasant, but was, before exposure of a different kind spoilt it, exceedingly lucrative.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “shivering Jemmy” mean?
A person who goes half-naked on the streets in order to beg for money.
Is “shivering Jemmy” formal or informal?
shivering Jemmy is generally slang.