Jemmy-john, subs. (common).—A demijohn.
1861. Marsh, Lectures on the English Language, (q.v. for Etymology from Damaghan a town in Khorassan, once famous for its glass works).
1873. T. B. Aldrich, Marjorie Daw &c. p. 76 (Tauchnitz). 'A gill o' wather out of a jimmy-john 'd fuddle him, mum.'
Jemmy O'Goblin, subs. phr. (theatrical).—A
sovereign. For synonyms
see Canary.
Jenkins' Hen. To die like
Jenkins' hen, verb. phr. (Scots').—To
die unmarried.
1805. A. Scott, Poems, 'The Old Maid', p. 87. I ance had sweethearts nine or ten, And dearly dawted wi' the men. . . . But Oh! the death of Jenkins' hen, I shudder at it.
Jenny, subs. (colloquial).—1. A
she-ass.
2. (thieves').—A small crowbar; formerly betty or bess (q.v.); also a hook on the end of a stick.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Jenny, an instrument to lift up a grate, and whip anything out of a shop window.
1725. New. Cant. Dict. s.v.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v.
3. (billiards').—A losing hazard into the middle pocket off a ball an inch or two from the side cushion.
4. (popular).—A hot water bottle.
Jennylinda, subs. (rhyming).—A
window.
Jeremy Diddler, subs. phr. (common).—A
shark (q.v.); a shabby
swindling borrower.
1803. Kenney, Raising the Wind. [Among the Dramatis Personæ, is jeremy diddler].
1840. Lytton, Money, iv. 5. Blount. And he borrowed £700 of me! Gloss. And £600 of me! Sir John. And £500 of me! Stout. Oh! a regular jeremy diddler!
1843. Thackeray, Irish Sketch Book, xiii. As for trade, there seemed to be none: a great jeremy-diddler kind of hotel stood hard by, swaggering and out-at-elbows.
1857. Thackeray, Virginians, xxxi. Poor jeremy diddler calls about eleven o'clock for another half-sovereign.
1895. St. James's Gazette, 15 June, p. 13. Your deeply obliged, jeremy-diddler.
Jericho, subs. (old).—1. A place
of concealment or banishment;
latterly and specifically, a prison:
e.g. as in phr. go to Jericho =
Go to the devil. [Generically, a
place of retirement, cf. 2 Sam.
x: 4 and 5].
1635. Heywood, Hierarchie, iv. p. 208. Bid such young boyes to stay in Jericho Untill their beards were growne, their wits more staid.
1648. Mercurius Aulicus quoted in Athenæum. Nov. 14. 1874, p. 645. Let them all goe to Jericho, And n'ere be seen againe.
1758. A. Murphy, The Upholsterer, ii. He may go to Jericho for what I cares.
1775. D'Arblay, Diary (1876), Vol. i. p. 167. I should wish all my new friends at Jericho.
1857. Thackeray, Virginians, xvi. 'She may go to Tunbridge, or she may go to Bath, or she may go to Jericho for me.'
2. (common).—A watercloset. For synonyms see Mrs. Jones.
3. (Oxford university).—A low quarter of Oxford.
