1839. Lever, Harry Lorrequer, xx. I'd rather hear the Cruiskeen Lawn . . . as my old friend . . . could sing [it] than a score of your high Dutch jawbreakers.
1851-61. Mayhew, Lond. Lab., i. 27. 'I can't tumble to that barrikin', said a young fellow; 'it's a jawbreaker.'
1872. Chambers' Miscellany, No. 152, p. 2. The most jawbreaking poly-syllables were cleared in a flying gallop.
1883. Illustrated London News, 8 Dec., p. 551, col. i. Such tedious talk, such sledge-hammer humour, and jaw-cracking jokes.
2. (pugilists').—A hard punch on the whisker.
Jaw-cove, subs. (American thieves').—1.
An auctioneer; and (2) a
lawyer.—Matsell (1859).
Jawhawk, verb. (American).—To
abuse; to vilify; to jaw (q.v.).
1890. Scribner's Magazine, p. 242. 'He'd ev shot him, if he hadn't skedaddled.' 'Well, sir! What fur?' 'Oh, jest jawhawkin' a Yank and burnin' his heouse down.'
Jawing- (or Jaw-) tackle, subs.
(nautical).—The organs of speech.
To have one's jawing tacks
aboard (or to cast-off one's
jaw-tackle) = to talk fluently.—Clark
Russell. jawing-match
= wordy warfare.
1859. C. Reade, Love me Little, xxii. Ah! Eve, my girl, your jawing-tackle is too well hung.
1819. Moore, Tom Crib, xviii. Chap 6 proves from the jawing-match and set-to etc.
Jaw-smith, subs. (colloquial).—An
orator; also a loud-mouthed demagogue.
[Originally an official
'orator' or 'instructor' of the
Knights of Labor—St. Louis
Globe Democrat, 1886].
Jay (or J), subs. (common).—1. A
simpleton. For synonyms see
Buffle and Cabbage-head.
1889. Pall Mall Gazette, 21 Sept., p. 3, col. 1. The amateur gamblers—youths of sixteen or seventeen, and flats or jays—are the chief patrons of faro.
1890. Punch, 22 Feb. She must be a fair j as a mater.
To play (or scalp) one for (or to flap) a jay, verb. phr. (common).—To dupe; to swindle. See Flap. Fr. rouler dans la farine.
1890. Gunter, Miss Nobody, p. 25. Telling in broken English how he scalped the Eastern jay.
2. (old).—A wanton. It. putta.
1596. Shakspeare, Merry Wives, iii, 3. Go to, then;—we'll use this unwholesome humidity, this gross watry pumpion;—we'll teach him to know turtles from jays!
1605. Shakspeare, Cymbeline, iii, 4. Some jay of Italy, Whose mother was her painting, hath betray'd him.
3. (theatrical).—An amateur; a poor actor.
Jayhawker, subs. (political American).—A
freebooter; a guerilla:
specifically a marauder during
the Kansas troubles and since
extended to all bandits.
1887. G. W. Cable, Century, xxxiii, 360. He and his father are catching the horses of the dead and dying jay-hawkers.
Jeames, subs. (common).—1. A
footman; a flunkey.
1845-6. Thackeray, Jeames' Diary. [Title].
1857. Thackeray, Virginians, xxxvi. That noble old race of footmen is well nigh gone . . . and Uncas with his tomahawk and eagle's plume, and jeames with his cocked hat and long cane, are passing out of the world where they once walked in glory.
