Injustice is relatively easy to bear; what stings is justice. H. L. Mencken 1922
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JACK OF ALL TRADES AND A MASTER OF NONE---One who has many talents, but due to the extent of his general knowledge, is not an expert in any one field.---Dryden *(1690). Amphitryon. "Yet I am still in my vocation; for you know I am a jack of all trades."
JACKPOT---Any cumulative stakes in gambling; big payoff.---Owes it's name to a form of poker. In draw poker, a person must have a pair of jacks or better in order to open, but has to ante regardless. If no one holds such cards, the pot grows larger and larger. Sooner or later someone will rake in a pile of chips by hitting the "jackpot".
JAYWALKER---One who crosses the street where prohibited.---Birds called Jays that first ventured into the cities seemed to be confused and often endangered themselves by walking in the streets with traffic. City folk equated this action to pedestrians who walked across streets in and out of traffic. Jaywalker became the standard term for one who crosses a street in a reckless or illegal fashion.
JERKWATER---Small, less important villages and towns.---"I can't wait to get out of this jerkwater town."---A brief stay in a "jerkwater" town is enough to let you know that the label is not a compliment. In the golden years of railroading, cities and large towns were watering stations. Trains stopped to discharge passengers or freight, and workmen leisurely filled the water tenders on the steam locomotives. Small villages didn't warrant a regular stop, but when watering stations were far apart a train had to have water so water towers were built with pipes lowered by rope to fill the tender. Impatient at having to stop at a crossroads, a train's fireman was likely to jerk the pipe into place so gravity would cause the tender to fill in seconds. Jerkwater was the name given any place you didn't want to stop, but had to.
new!JIG IS UP---Your trickery is discovered.---"You may as well tell the truth, the jigs up."---Jig was an old slang term for a joke or trick.
JOHN HANCOCK---One's signature.---"All I need is for you to put your John Hancock on this document."---The biggest and boldest signature on the Declaration of Independence was that of John Hancock of Massachusetts. The same meaning applies when John Henry is used.---Raymond Adams (1981). Western Words. "John Henry is what the cowboy calls his signature. He never signs a document, he puts his John Henry to it."
JOHNNY COME LATELY---Newcomer, inexperienced---"He is a Johnny come lately"---A British expression from the early 19th century. "Johnny Newcome" applied to a sailor newly assigned to a navel ship.
JUMPING THE GUN---Starting something before you should.---"I think he should wait, he is jumping the gun."---Track and field expression. A race is started with the firing of a gun, if you leave the start line before the gun sounds (false start) you are jumping the gun.
JUNK---Used or useless material or products.---Europeans were said to have laughed heartily when they got their first good look at an early oriental sailing vessel, or "junk:". Its flat bottom and high poop make it ridiculously clumsy in heavy seas. What's more, one of these queer craft was likely to be loaded to the gunwales with stuff no English or Portuguese sailor would accept as a gift. Such strange and apparently useless cargo came to bear the name of the ship that transported it.
JURY RIG---Cheap; temporary---"I have never seen such a jury rig."---A temporary rigging on the mast of a ship to repair battle or storm damage.---Thomas newte (1785). A Tour of England and Scotland. "The ship is to be jury rigged; that is , to have smaller mast, yards, and rigging, than would be required for actual sailing."
JUST BEAR WITH ME---Stick with me; support me.---"Just bear with me for a while longer and this will be finished."---Heywood (1546). Proverbs. "Bear with me and I'll bear with thee."