subs. (old).—1. A form of robbery. See JILT, verb.
1811. GROSE and CLARKE, Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v. JUMP. A species of robbery effected by ascending a ladder placed by a sham lamp-lighter, against the house intended to be robbed. It is so called, because, should the lamp-lighter be put to flight, the thief who ascended the ladder has no means of escaping but that of JUMPING down.
2. (thieves’).—A window: cf. BACK JUMP.
1859. G. W. MATSELL, Vocabulum; or, The Rogue’s Lexicon, s.v.
3. (in pl.).—(1) the fidgets; (2) delirium tremens.
1879. PAYN, High Spirits (Capt. Cole’s Passenger), ii. 203. I thought he had been drinking, and in fact was on the verge of ‘THE JUMPS.’
1889. Daily Telegraph, 7 Sept., 5, 3. Only suffering from an attack of THE JUMPS.
4. (old).—Loose raiment. See JUMPER, sense 4.
1752. FOOTE, Taste (ed. 1781), p. v. Don’t mind my shape this bout, for I’m only in JUMPS.
Verb. (old).—1. To seize upon, whether forcibly or by stealth; to cheat; to supplant: e.g., TO JUMP A MAN = to pounce upon and rob or maltreat; TO JUMP A HOUSE = to rob it; TO JUMP A CLAIM = to take possession of a mining right in the absence of an owner. Fr. farguer à la dure.
1789. G. PARKER, Life’s Painter, 160. They … pick him up and take him to the above alehouse to JUMP him, or do him upon the broads, which means cards.
1855. FRANK MARRYAT, Mountains and Molehills, p. 217. If a man ‘JUMPED’ [my claim] … I appealed to the ‘crowd.’
1857. W. WESTGARTH, Victoria and the Australian Gold Mines, 210. There was, for that day at any rate, to be no ‘JUMPING of claims.’
1870. BRET HARTE, The Luck of Roaring Camp, 134. The old proprietor …. was green, and let the boys about here JUMP him.
1879. J. W. HORSLEY, ‘Autobiography of a Thief,’ in Macmillan’s Magazine, XL., 500. Who used to take me a parlour-JUMPING (robbing rooms), putting me in where the window was open.
1888. Chicago Herald. He arose at early dawn and JUMPED his bill.
1888. BOLDREWOOD, Robbery under Arms, xxxviii. We lying down and our horses hung up not far off for fear we might be JUMPED by the police at any time.
1890. Athenæum, 8 Feb., p. 176, col. 2. ‘How a Claim was nearly JUMPED’ is the most natural and the best of the five stories.
1638. RANDOLPH, The Muse’s Looking-Glass, iv. 3. Then there is JUMPING Jude … with bouncing Nan.
3. (medical).—To try a medicine.
FROM THE JUMP, adv. phr. (colloquial).—From the start.
1848. New York Tribune, 11 Nov. Here is a whole string of Democrats, all of whom had been going the whole hog for Cass FROM THE JUMP.
c. 1871. Wild Bill [quoted by DE VERE]. I knew how it would come FROM THE JUMP, for in the man’s face was written rascal.
1888. Chicago Daily Inter Ocean, 3 Feb. He can depend on a big crowd and fair play FROM THE JUMP.
TO JUMP AT, verb. phr. (colloquial).—1. To accept eagerly.
1861. T. HUGHES, Tom Brown at Oxford, iii. 1. Mary was getting on badly with her drawing, and JUMPED AT the idea of a ramble in the woods.
1882. PAYN, Thicker than Water, vii. His circumstances were such that, to use a homely but very significant expression, he might well have JUMPED AT such an offer.
2. (colloquial).—To guess.
1892. HUME NISBET, The Bushranger’s Sweetheart, 250. I shall only give you a little of our conversation the Sunday night before we parted, and leave you to JUMP AT what had been said before.
TO JUMP (or BE JUMP) WITH, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To agree; to coincide; to tally.
1567. HARMAN, A Caveat or Warening for Common Cursetors [E.E.T.S.], 44. They mete IOMPE at night.
1584. J. LYLY, Alexander and Campaspe. And thou to be JUMP WITH Alexander.
1598. SHAKESPEARE, 1 Henry IV., i. 2. In short, it JUMPS with my humour.
1606. The Return from Parnassus, i., 2 [DODSLEY, Old Plays, 1874, ix. 113]. As in the first, so in the last, my censure may JUMP WITH thine.
1633. ROWLEY, A Match at Midnight, iii. 1. Anc. How all things JUMP in a just equivalency.
1660. Andromana, iii. 6. [DODSLEY, Old Plays, 1875, xiv. 248].
| Eph. This story JUMP’D | |
| Just with my dream to-night. |
1830. R. B. PEAKE, Court and City, iv. 2. Hum. What a happiness it is, when people’s inclinations jump!
1838. J. C. NEAL, Charcoal Sketches [quoted by DE VERE]. On the whole, it JUMPED WITH his desires, and the matter was clinched.
TO JUMP ONE’S HORSE OVER A BAR, verb. phr. (colonial).—See quot.
1886. Daily Telegraph, 20 March. Then the unhappy man would, in bush parlance, JUMP HIS HORSE OVER THE BAR, that is to say, he would, for a paltry sum, sell his horse, saddle, bridle, and all, to the lambing-down landlord.
TO GO A JUMP, verb. phr. (American thieves’).—To enter a house by the window.—MATSELL (1859).
TO JUMP A BILL, verb. phr. (common).—To dishonour an acceptance.
1892. Pall Mall Gazette, 17 Oct., p. 2, col. 3. Painting the town red … JUMPING BILLS … evading writters etc.
TO SEE HOW THE CAT WILL JUMP, verb. phr. (common).—To watch the course of events; TO SIT ON THE FENCE (q.v.).
1825. The Universal Songster, i. (‘The Dogs’-Meat Man’).
| He soon saw which way the cat did JUMP, | |
| And his company he offered plump. |
1827. SCOTT, in Croker Papers (1884), I. xi. 319. Had I time, I believe I would come to London merely TO SEE HOW THE CAT JUMPED.
1853. BULWER-LYTTON, My Novel, IV. p. 228. ‘But I rely equally on your friendly promise.’ ‘Promise! No—I don’t promise. I must first SEE HOW THE CAT JUMPS.’
1859. LEVER, Davenport Dunn, III. 229. You’ll see with half an eye HOW THE CAT JUMPS.
1874. The Saturday Review, p. 139. This dismays the humble Liberal of the faint Southern type, who thinks that there are subjects as to which the heads of his party need not wait TO SEE HOW THE CAT JUMPS.
1887. Political Slang, in Cornhill Magazine, June, p. 626. Those who sit on the fence—men with impartial minds, who wait to SEE, as another pretty phrase has it, HOW THE CAT WILL JUMP.
TO JUMP UPON, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To maltreat, physically or otherwise; to criticise severely; TO TAKE IT OUT OF (q.v.); TO SIT UPON (q.v.).
1872. M. E. BRADDON, Dead-Sea Fruit, v. When a wretched scribbler was, in vulgar phraseology, to be JUMPED UPON, honest Daniel put on his hobnailed boots, and went at the savage operation with a will.
TO JUMP BAIL, verb. phr. (common).—To abscond.
1859. G. W. MATSELL, Vocabulum; or, The Rogue’s Lexicon, s.v.
TO JUMP THE BROOMSTICK.—See BROOMSTICK.
TO JUMP UP (tailors’).—To get the best of one, or the reverse.—A Dictionary of Slang, Jargon & Cant.
TO JUMP THE GAME, verb. phr. (American police).—To raid a gambling den.
TO JUMP UP BEHIND, verb. phr. (general).—See quot.
1865. Daily Telegraph, 9 March. ‘Has he no friend,’ he asks him, ‘who will JUMP UP BEHIND, that is endorse the acceptance.’
TO JUMP OUT OF ONE’S SKIN.—See SKIN.
ON THE KEEN JUMP, adv. phr. (U.S. colloquial).—On the ‘go’; violently at work.
1861. T. WINTHROP, Saccharissa Mellasys [in Century]. De tar-kittle ’s a-b’ilin’ ON DE KEEN JUMP.
