Chapter Joan to John of J by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Jobs A printer's phrase to designate all kinds of work not included in the term "book-work." The French call such work ouvrage de ville.
    Allied to the Latin, op[us]; Spanish, ob[ra]; French, ouv[rage]; the r occurs in the genitive case, oper[is].

Job (To). To strike. To give one a "job in the eye" is to give one a blow in the eye; and to "job one in the ribs" is to strike one in the ribs, to stab one in the ribs. Job and probe seem to be very nearly allied. Halliwell gives the word "stop," to poke or thrust, which is allied to stab.

Jobation A scolding; so called from the patriarch Job.

"Jobation ... means a long, dreary homily, and has reference to the tedious rebukes inflicted on the patriarch Job by his too obliging friends." - G.A. Sala: (Echoes), Sept. 6, 1884.

Jobber One who does small jobs; one who buys from merchants to sell to retailers; a middle-man. A "stock-jobber" is one who buys and sells public funds, but is not a sworn stock-broker.

Jobbing Carpenter One who is ready to do odd jobs (piece-work) in his own line. (See Job.)

Jocelin de Brakelonda de Rebus gestis Samsonis, etc., published by the Camden Society. This record of the acts of Abbot Samson of Edmondsbury contains much contemporary history, and gives a good account of English life and society between 1173 and 1202.

Jockey is a little Jack (boy). So in Scotch, "Ilka Jeanie has her Jockie." (See Jack.)
   All fellows, Jockey and the laird (man and master). (Scotch proverb.)

Jockey (To). To deceive in trade; to cheat; to indulge in sharp practice.

Jockey of Norfolk Sir John Howard, a firm adherent of Richard III. On the night before the battle of Bosworth he found in his tent the warning couplet:

"Jockey of Norfolk, be not too bold,
For Dickon, thy master, is bought and sold."

Joe or a Joe Miller. A stale joke; so called from the compilation of jokes under that nom de plume. (See Miller.)

Joey A groat; so called from Joseph Hume, M.P., who strongly recommended the coinage for the sake of paying short cab-fares, etc. (Hawkins: History of the Silver Coinage of England.)

Jog Jog away; jog off; jog on. Get away; be off; keep moving. Shakespeare uses the word shog in the same sens - as, "Will you shog off?" (Henry V., ii. 1); and again in the same play, "Shall we shog?" (ii. 3). Beaumont and Fletcher use the same expression in The Coxcomb - "Come, prithee, let us shog off?" and again, in Pasquill and Katharine - "Thus it shogges" [goes]. In the Morte d' Arthur we have another variety - "He shokkes in sharpely" [rushes in]. The words seem to be connected with the Dutch schokken, to jolt, and the Anglo-Saxon scacan, to depart, to flee.

"Jog on a little faster, prithee,
I'll take a nap and then be wi' thee."
R. Lloyd: The Hare and the Tortoise.

   To jog his memory, or Give his memory a jog. To remind one of something apparently forgotten. Jog is to shake or stir up. (Welsh, gogi, to shake; French, choquer; our shock, shake, etc.)

Jog-trot A slow but regular pace.

Joggis or Jogges. The pillory. Jamieson says, "They punish delinquents, making them stand in `jogges,' as they call their pillories." (The word is Yoke: Latin, jugum; French, joug; Anglo-Saxon, geoc; our jug, a jail.)

"Staune ane wholl Sabothe daye in ye joggis." -
Glen: History of Dumbarton.

John A contraction of Johannes (Joh'n). The French contract it differently, Jean - i.e. Jehan or Jehann; in Italian, Giovanni.
   Popes.
   JOHN I. died wretchedly in jail.
   JOHN II. and III. were nonentities.
   JOHN IV. was accused of heresy.
   JOHN V., VI., VII., were nonentities.
   JOHN VIII. was imprisoned by Lambert, Duke of Spoleto; at a subsequent