Chapter Jew's-eye to Joachim of J by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Jib-boom An extension of the bowsprit by the addition of a spar projecting beyond it. Sometimes the boom is further extended by another spar called the flying jib-boom.

Jib-door A door flush with the outside wall, and intended to be concealed; forming thus part of the jib or face of the house. (See above, line 8.)

Jib-stay (A). The stay on which a jib is set.

Jib Topsail (A). A light sail flying from the extreme forward end of the flying-jib boom, and set about half-way between the mast and the boom.

Jiffy In a jiffy. In a minute; in a brace of shakes; before you can say "Jack Robinson." (French, vif, vife.)

Jig from gigue. A short piece of music much in vogue in olden times, of a very lively character, either six-eight or twelve-eight time, and used for dance-tunes. It consists of two parts, each of eight bars. Also a comic song.

"You jig, you amble, and you lisp." - Shakespeare: Hamlet, iii. l.

Jilt (To). (See under Basket .) To give the basket.

Jim Crow Brought out at the Adelphi in 1836. The character of Jim Crow played by T. D. Rice, as the original of the "nigger minstrels" since so popular. A renegade or turncoat is called a Jim Crow, from the burden of the song, Wheel about and turn about.

Jingo By Jingo or By the Living Jingo. Basque "Jainko," the Supreme Being. In corroboration of this derivation it may be stated that Edward I. had Basque mountaineers conveyed to England to take part in the conquest of Wales, and the Plantagenets held the Basque provinces in possession. The word was certainly used as a juron long before the Crimean War.

"Hey, Jingo! What the de'il's the matter?
Do mermaids swim in Dartford water?"
Swift: Actæon (or The Original Horn Fair

    Dr. Morris, in his Historic Outlines (p. 210 note), says it is St. Gingulph, and Professor Skeat (Notes and Queries. August 25th, 1894, p. 149) is of the same opinion. According to The Times, June 25th 1877, p. 6, col. 1), it is the Persian jang = War, and the juron "By St. Jingo" is about equal to "By Mars." But the word had originally no connection with our jingoism. It was common enough in the early part of the nineteenth century. Query. A corruption of Jesus, Son of God, thus, Je-n-go.

Jingoes (The). The war party in 1877. They were Russophobists, who felt convinced that the Czar intended to take possession of Constantinople, which would give him command of the Black Sea, and might endanger our Indian possessions. This has nothing to do with the word "jingo" used by Dean Swift; but was wholly connected with the music-hall song mentioned in the next article.

Jingoism The British war braggadocio; called Chauvinism in French; Spread-eagleism in the United States of North America. During the Russo-Turkish War in 1877-1878 England was on the point of interfering, and at the music-halls a song became popular containing the following refrain: -

"We don't want to fight; but, by Jingo, if we do,
We've got the ships, we've got the men, and got the money too."

Jinn A sort of fairies in Arabian mythology, the offspring of fire. They propagate their species like human beings, and are governed by a race of kings named Suleyman, one of whom "built the pyramids." Their chief abode is the mountain Kâf, and they appear to men under the forms of serpents, dogs, cats, monsters, or even human beings, and become invisible at pleasure. The evil jinn are hideously ugly, but the good are exquisitely beautiful. According to fable, they were created from fire two thousand years before Adam was made of earth. The singular of jinn is jinnee. (See Fairy.)

Jinnistan The country of the Jinn, or Fairy Land, the chief province of which is The Country of Delight, and the capital The City of Jewels.