Jack-at-a-Pinch, subs. (old).—A person employed in an emergency; a stop-gap: specially, a clergyman who has no cure, but on occasion officiates for a fee: cf. guinea-pig.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v.
1725. New. Cant. Dict., s.v.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1883. Whitcher, Widow Bedott Papers, p. 27. The fact is, Miss Coon feels wonderfully cut up, because she knows that her husband took her jack-at-a-pinch.
Jack-in-a(or -the)-box, subs. (old).—1. See quots.
1632. Dekker, English Villanies, [quoted by Nares]. This jacke-in-a-boxe, or this divell in mans shape, wearing (like a player on a stage) good cloathes on his backe, comes to a gold-*smiths stall, to a drapers, a habber-dashers, or into any other shoppe, where he knowes good store of silver faces are to be seene.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew., s.v. Jack-in-a-box, c. a Sharper or Cheat.
1725. New. Cant. Dict. s.v.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1811. Lex. Bal. s.v.
2. (old).—A child's toy, consisting of a box out of which, on raising the lid, a figure springs.
1570. Satirical Poems of Reformation [S.T.S.], 1889-90, I, p. 163, l. 78. Jak-in-the-bokkis, for all thy mokkis.
1600. Nashe, Works [Grosart, 1885, vi. 149). Close under a hedge, or under a house wall, playing jack-in-a-box.
1702. The Infernal Wanderer [quoted by nares]. As I was thus walking my rounds, up comes a brother of the quill, belonging to the office, who no sooner made his entrance amongst the equitable fraternity, but up started every one in his seat, like a jack in a box, crying out Legit aut non Legit; To which they answer'd themselves, Non legit, my lord.
1878. Grenville Murray, Round about France, p. 268. With the suddenness of a jack-in-the-box.
3. (common).—A game in which some article, of more or less value, is placed on the top of a stick standing in a hole, and thrown at with sticks. If the article be hit so as to fall clear of the hole, the thrower takes it.
4. (thieves').—A small but powerful kind of screw, used by burglars to open safes.
1848. Albert Smith, Christopher Tadpole, ch. xiii. Take care of the jack-in-the-box: there never was but two made.
5. (venery). The penis. For synonyms see Creamstick and Prick.
6. (old). See Jack-in-the-cellar.
7. (old.). A street-pedler.
1698-1700. Ward, London Spy [quoted in Century]. Here and there a jack-in-the-box. . . . Selling Cures for your Corns, Glass-eyes for the Blind &c.
8. (old).—The sacrament.
Jack-in-office, subs. (common).—An over-bearing petty official; an upstart; a jack-in-the-pulpit (q.v.).
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew. s.v. Jack in an Office . . . one that behaves himself imperiously in it.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Jack-in-an-Office, an insolent fellow in authority.
1894. St. James's Gazette, 27 Aug. p. 13. Radical Governments and their jacks-in-office seem to have a happy knack of making enemies.
Jack-in-the-cellar (or box), subs. (old).—A child in the womb; a Hans-en-kelder (q.v.).
