Jack

subs. (old).—1.  A farthing; also (American thieves’), a small coin.

  c. 1696.  B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. JACK.

  1714.  Memoirs of John Hall (4 ed.), p. 12, s.v.

  1725.  A New Canting Dictionary, s.v. JACK. He wou’d not tip me a JACK, Not a farthing wou’d he give me.

  1785.  GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v.

  1859.  G. W. MATSELL, Vocabulum; or, The Rogue’s Lexicon, s.v.

  2.  (old).—The small bowl aimed at in the game of bowls.

  1605.  SHAKESPEARE, Cymbeline, ii. 1, 2. Was there ever man had such luck! when I kissed the JACK upon on upcast to be hit away!

  1692.  BENTLEY, A Confutation of Atheism [quoted by JOHNSON, 1755]. But if [a bowl] be made with a Byas,… it may … run spontaneously to the JACK.

  c. 1696.  B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. JACK.

  1726.  BUTLER, Upon Human Learning, Pt. 2. Like bowlers, strive to beat away the JACK.

  1785.  GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v. JACK.

  1811.  GROSE and CLARKE, Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v. JACK.

  3.  (old: now recognised).—A contrivance to assist a person in taking off his boots; a bootjack.

  c. 1696.  B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. JACK.

  1785.  GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v. JACK.

  4.  (old: now colloquial).—The Knave in any of the four suits in a pack of cards. Fr., le galuchet, or le larbin savonné or le mistigris.

  1662.  Rump Songs, ‘Rump Carbonado’d.’

  1754.  MARTIN, English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Knave,… or a JACK at cards.

  1860.  DICKENS, Great Expectations, viii. He calls the Knaves JACKS.

  5.  (old).—A post-chaise (GROSE, 3rd ed., 1823).

  6.  (old: now recognised).—A pitcher varying in capacity: generally made of leather; a BLACK-JACK (q.v.).

  1592.  NASHE, Summer’s Last Will [DODSLEY, Old Plays, 1874, viii. 59]. Rise up Sir Robert Toss-pot. [Here he dubs Will Summer with the BLACK-JACK.]

  1606.  The Return from Parnassus, v., 2 [DODSLEY, Old Plays, 1874, ix. 207]. A BLACK-JACK of beer and a Christmas pie.

  c. 1696.  B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. JACK.

  7.  (old).—A Jacobite. [In the quot. there is a punning reference to the flag, sense 13].

  1723.  SWIFT, A Quibbling Elegy on Judge Boat [Works, Aldine ed. iii. 96].

  8.  (old).—A term of contempt. [The usage is common in most modern languages: e.g., Fr. Jean-guêtré = peasant, Jean-bête = ‘cabbage-head,’ Jean-fesse or Jean-foutre = scamp; It. Gianni, whence ZANY; Sp. Juan, as bobo Juan = foolish John, &c.].

  [See also many of the combinations following. TO PLAY THE JACK = to act the fool (or GOAT (q.v.); CHEAP JACK = a peddling tradesman; JACK-FOOL (CHAUCER) = a thundering idiot; JACK-FRIAR = a HEDGE-PRIEST (q.v.); JACK-SLAVE = a vulgarian; JACK-BRAG = a boaster; JACK-SNIP = a botching tailor; JACK-STRAW = a low-born rebel; JACK-SPRAT = a mannikin; SKIP-JACK = an upstart; JACK-AT-WARTS = a little conceited fellow; JACK-IN-THE-BOX = the sacrament; JACK-UPALAND (CHAUCER) = a peasant.]

  1383.  CHAUCER, The Canterbury Tales [SKEAT (1894), p. 106]. ‘Go fro the window, JAKKE FOOL,’ she said.

  1580.  H. GIFFORD, Posie of Gilleflowers (GROSART, 1875), ‘A delectable dream,’ p. 113.

  1593.  SHAKESPEARE, Taming of the Shrew, ii. 1.

  1595.  SHAKESPEARE, Romeo and Juliet, ii. 4. Nurse. An a’ speak any thing against me, I’ll take him down, an a’ were lustier than he is, and twenty such JACKS, and if I cannot, I’ll find those that shall.

  1596.  NASHE, Have with You to Saffron-Walden, in Works [GROSART, iii. 54]. Teaching it to doo trickes, hey come aloft JACK, like an ape ouer the chaine.

  1597–8.  HAUGHTON, A Woman will have her Will, ii. 1 [DODSLEY, Old Plays, 1874, x. 496].

  1600.  NASHE, Summer’s Last Will, in Works (GROSART, vi. 107).

  1606.  The Return from Parnassus, Prologue [DODSLEY, Old Plays, 1874, ix. 101]. Defensor. Scurvy in thy face, thou scurvy JACK.

  1607.  G. WILKINS, The Miseries of Enforced Marriage, i. [DODSLEY, Old Plays, 1874, ix. 488].

  1611.  DAVIES, The Scourge of Folly, Wks. (GROSART, p. 39, Epig. 282). Such jocund JACKS as mock thee for thy paine.

  1621.  BURTON, The Anatomy of Melancholy, 291. A company of scoffers and proud JACKS are commonly conversant and attendant in such places.

  1636.  T. HEYWOOD, Love’s Mistress, i.

  1647.  BEAUMONT and FLETCHER, The Faithful Friends, i. 2.

  1653.  R. BROME, The Damoiselle, ii., 1, in Five New Playes, 403. Ver. the frumping JACKS are gone.——

  1677.  WYCHERLEY, The Plain Dealer, ii. Wid. Marry come up, you saucy familiar JACK!

  1738.  SWIFT, Polite Conversation, Dial. 1. But, I swear, you are a saucy JACK to use such expressions.

  9.  (gaming).—A counter resembling in size and appearance a sovereign. Also HALF-JACKS. See quot.

  1851.  H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, i. 387. They are all made in Birmingham, and are of the size and colour of the genuine sovereigns and half sovereigns…. Each presents a profile of the Queen; but instead of the superscription ‘Victoria Dei Gratiâ’ of the true sovereign, the JACK has ‘Victoria Regina.’ On the reverse, in the place of the ‘Britanniarum Regina Fid. Def.’ surrounding the royal arms and crown, is a device (intended for an imitation of St. George and the Dragon) representing a soldier on horseback—the horse having three legs elevated from the ground, while a drawn sword fills the right hand of the equestrian, and a crown adorns his head. The superscription is, ‘to Hanover,’ and the rider seems to be sociably accompanied by a dragon. Round the Queen’s head on the HALF JACK is ‘Victoria, Queen of Great Britain,’ and on the reverse the Prince of Wales’s feather, with the legend, ‘The Prince of Wales’s Model Half Sovereign.’

  10.  (common).—(a) A sailor: also JACK-tar, English-JACK, and Spanish-JACK. (b) An attendant at a boat-house. Also JACK-IN-THE-WATER (q.v.).

  1788.  DIBDIN, Poor Jack, ‘Song.’

  1867.  Cassell’s Family Paper, 23 Feb. The old brigadier ordered the JACKS to storm.

  11.  (American schools’).—A stranger.

  12.  (old).—A male sweetheart; cf. GILL.

  c. 1500.  Babees Book [E.E.T.S.], 22.

  1592.  SHAKESPEARE, Midsummer Night’s Dream, iii. 2. JACK shall have Jill.

  1620.  PERCY, Folio MSS., p. 104, ‘As I was ridinge by the way.’ There is neuer a IACKE for GILL.

  13.  (nautical).—The Union Jack; THE RAG (q.v.).

  1652.  In G. H. PREBLE, History of the Flag, p. 151. In a paper dated Jan. 14, 1652 … it is ordered, ‘all the ships to wear JACKS as formerly.’

  1892.  KIPLING, Barrack-Room Ballads, ‘The Rhyme of the Three Captains.’ Now he floated the Gridiron and now he flaunted the JACK.

  14.  (old cant).—A seal. See JARK.

  15.  (thieves’).—A policeman. For synonyms, see BEAK and COPPER.

  1889.  C. T. CLARKSON and J. HALL RICHARDSON, Police! p. 320, s.v.

  16.  (Scots’).—See JAKES.

  17.  (venery).—An erectio penis. For synonyms, see HORN.

  18.  (venery).—The penis. For synonyms, see CREAMSTICK and PRICK.

  19.  (colloquial).—A male: as in the compounds JACK-HARE, JACK-CROW, JACK-ASS, JACK-RABBIT, etc.

  1575.  R[ichard] B[ower], Appius and Virginia [DODSLEY, Old Plays, 1874, iv. 151]. A gentleman? nay, a JACK-HERRING.

  1894.  E. Œ SOMERVILLE & MARTIN ROSS, The Real Charlotte, i. 210. And I don’t care a JACK-RAT what he thought, or what you think either!

  20.  (old).—An ape.

  21.  (old).—A peasant.

  1513.  DUNBAR, Schir, Ȝit Remember as of Befoir, Poems (1883–4), 106. JOK, that was wont to keip the stirkis.

  1589.  NASHE, The Anatomie of Absurditie, in Works [GROSART, i. 9]. They distinguish a Gentleman from a broking JACKE.

  c. 1636.  The London Chanticleers, Sc. i. Thou believ’st that more may be gotten with a Good your (nonsense) Worship to every JACK than a Sirrah, deliver your purse to the best lord i’ th’ land.

  1678.  COTTON, Virgil Travestie, in Wks. (1725), Bk. iv. p. 122.

  Verb. (American).—1.  To brand an unmarked yearling or MAVERICK (q.v.).

  1871.  DE VERE, Americanisms, 211. Any owner of a large herd considers himself authorised to brand a maverick which he finds on or near his ranche, and this operation is called TO JACK a maverick.

  2.  (venery).—To copulate. For synonyms, see GREENS and RIDE.

  3.  (thieves’). To rim away quickly. For synonyms, see AMPUTATE.

  TO LAY ON THE JACK, verb. phr. (old).—To thrash soundly; to scold in good round terms. For synonyms, see BASTE and TAN.

  1557–8.  Jacob and Esau [DODSLEY, Old Plays, 1874, ii. 253]. If I wrought one stroke to-day, LAY me ON THE JACK.

  1579.  T. NORTH, Noble Grecians, p. 127. And that they should make no reckoning of all that bravery and bragges, but should stick to it like men, and LAYE it ON THE JACKS of them.

  TO MAKE ONE’S JACK, verb. phr. (American).—To succeed; to gain one’s point. [From the game of faro].

  TO BE COPPERED ON THE JACK, verb. phr. (American).—To fail; to lose one’s point. [From the game of faro].

  1878.  J. H. BEADLE, Western Wilds, 46. He staked a pile of ‘chips’ and won; then made and lost, and made and lost alternately, selling his stock when ‘broke,’ and scarcely ate or slept till the tail of his last mule was ‘COPPERED ON THE JACK.’

  TO PLAY THE JACK, verb. phr. (old).—To play the rogue.

  1609.  SHAKESPEARE, Tempest, iv. 1. Your fairy … has done little better than PLAY THE JACK with us.

  1612.  ROWLANDS, The Knave of Hearts, p. 20. [Hunterian Club’s Reprint, 1874].

  1668.  PEPYS, Diary, Feb. 23. Who PLAYED THE JACKE with us all, and is a fellow that I must trust no more.

  TO BE UPON THEIR JACKS, verb. phr. (old).—To have an advantage.

  TO GET JACK IN THE ORCHARD, verb. phr. (venery).—To achieve intromission. For synonyms, see GREENS and RIDE.

  EVERY MAN JACK (or EVERY JACK-RAG), phr. (common).—Every one without exception.

  1845.  B. DISRAELI, Sybil; or, The Two Nations, VI, vi. There is none: my missus says that NOT A MAN JOHN of them is to be seen.

  1846.  THACKERAY, Vanity Fair, viii. Sir Pitt had numbered EVERY ‘MAN JACK’ of them.

  1852.  C. READE, Peg Woffington, viii. Send them (the children) to bed; EVERY MAN JACK of them.

  1861.  M. E. BRADDON, The Trail of the Serpent, IV, i. I knows EVERY MAN JACK of ’em, sir; and a fine staff they is.

  1892.  T. A. GUTHRIE (‘F. Anstey’), Voces Populi, ‘Free Speech,’ p. 103. Traitors, HEVERY MAN JACK of ’em!

  JACK-AT-A-PINCH, subs. (old).—A person employed in an emergency; a stop-gap: specifically, a clergyman who his no cure, but on occasion officiates for a fee: cf. GUINEA-PIG.

  c. 1696.  B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v.

  1725.  A New Canting Dictionary, s.v.

  1785.  GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v.

  1856.  WHITCHER, The Widow Bedott Papers, p. 27. The fact is, Miss Coon feels wonderfully cut up ’cause she knows the Major 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 goldsmiths stall, to a drapers, a habberdashers, or into any other shoppe, where he knowes good store of silver faces are to be seene.

  c. 1696.  B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. JACK-IN-A-BOX, c. a Sharper or Cheat.

  1725.  A New Canting Dictionary, s.v.

  1785.  GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v.

  1811.  GROSE and CLARKE, Lexicon Balatronicum, 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 the Time of the Reformation [S.T.S.], 1889–90, I., p. 163, l. 78, ‘The Bird in the Cage.’ JAK IN THE BOKIS, for all thy mokis.

  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, The 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.).

  c. 1696.  B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. JACK IN AN OFFICE … one that behaves himself imperiously in it.

  1785.  GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar 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.).

  1751.  SMOLLETT, Peregrine Pickle, i. 65. When his companions drank to HANS IN KELDER, or Jack in the Low Cellar.

  JACK-IN-THE-DUST, subs. (nautical).—A steward’s mate.

  JACK-IN-THE-GREEN, subs. (common).—A chimney-sweep enclosed in a portable framework of boughs for the processions on the first of May: now mainly a thing of the past.

  JACK-IN-THE-PULPIT, subs. A pretender; an upstart; a JACK-IN-OFFICE (q.v.).

  JACK-IN-THE-WATER, subs. (common).—An odd or handy man at a boat-house or landing stage: also JACK (q.v. sense 10).

  JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES, subs. (common).—One who can (or pretends to be able to) turn his hand to any business: now usually in contempt, as ‘JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES and master of none.’

  1659.  Lady Alimony, iv., 2 (DODSLEY, Old Plays (HAZLITT), 4th ed., 1875, xiv., 344). Cav. What else, you JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES!

  c. 1636.  The London Chanticleers, Sc. xi. Any old pots or kettles to mend? Will you buy my ballads? or have you any corns on your feet-toes? Nay, I am JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES now.

  1662.  Rump Songs, i. 193.

  1675.  COTTON, Burlesque upon Burlesque: or, The Scoffer Scofft, in Wks. (1725), p. 229.

  1698–1700.  WARD, The London Spy, III., 59. He is by his Profession a Labourer to a Physician, but has made himself, by a curious inspection into Mysteries of Universallity a JACK OF ALL TRADES.

  1857.  TOM HOOD, Pen and Pencil Pictures, 138. A JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES and master of none was Panurgus Pebbles:… his shallow versatility was his bane.

  1860.  DICKENS, Great Expectations, xxv. ‘I am my own engineer, and my own carpenter, and my own plumber, and my own gardener, and my own JACK OF ALL TRADES.’

  JACK-OF-LEGS, subs. (old).—1.  An extra tall man; a LAMP-POST (q.v.).

  1785.  GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v.

  1811.  GROSE and CLARKE, Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.

  1859.  G. W. MATSELL, Vocabulum; or, The Rogue’s Lexicon, s.v.

  2.  (old).—A large clasp knife. See JOCTELEG.

  JACK-ON-BOTH-SIDES, subs. (old).—A neutral: also one who ‘hunts with the hounds and runs with the hare’; a FENCE-RIDER (q.v.).

  1594.  NASHE, Terrors of the Night, in Works [GROSART, 1885, iii. 252]. Like a craftie JACKE A BOTH SIDES.

  1654.  Witt’s Recreations [quoted by NARES].

  1662.  Rump Songs, i. 140.

  JACK-OUT-OF-DOORS, subs. (old).—A vagrant.

  1634.  WITHALS, Dictionary, p. 569. Neque pessimus neque primus: not altogether JACK OUT OF DOORES, and yet no gentleman.

  JACK-OUT-OF-OFFICE, subs. (old).—A discharged official: in derision.

  1592.  SHAKESPEARE, 1 Henry VI., i. 1. But long I will not be JACK-OUT-OF-OFFICE.

  1581.  B. RICH, Farewell to Militarie Profession (1846), 10. For liberalitie, who was wont to be a principall officer … is tourned Jacke out of office, and others appointed to have the custodie of hym.

  1611.  DAVIES, The Scourge of Folly, in Works [GROSART, 1878, ii. 41]. Hee’s JACKE OUT OF OFFICE, that John was in it.

  JACK-THE-PAINTER, subs. (Australian).—A much adulterated green tea used in the bush.

  1852.  G. C. MUNDY, Our Antipodes, i. 329. Another notorious ration tea of the bush is called ‘JACK THE PAINTER.’

  JACK-THE-SLIPPER, subs. (thieves’). The treadmill. For synonyms, see WHEEL OF LIFE.

  TO JACK THE INTERIM, verb. (thieves’).—To be remanded.

  TO JACK UP, verb. (common).—To clinch; to abandon; TO CHUCK (q.v.); JACKED-UP = ruined; done for.

  1888.  BOLDREWOOD, Robbery under Arms, xix. Not but what I’d had a lot to bear, and took a deal of punishment before he JACKED UP.

  1889.  Answers, 23 March, p. 265, col. 2. When a man JACKS UP his work—will not do his tasks that is to say.