quword 趣词
Word Origins Dictionary
- Jim Crow[Jim Crow 词源字典]
- "black person," 1838, American English, originally the name of a black minstrel character in a popular song-and-dance act by T.D. Rice (1808-1860) that debuted 1828 and attained national popularity by 1832:
Wheel about, an' turn about, an' do jis so;
Eb'ry time I wheel about, I jump Jim Crow.
Where and how Rice got it, or wrote it, is a mystery. Even before that, crow (n.) had been a derogatory term for a black man. Association with segregation dates from 1842, in reference to a railroad car for blacks. Modern use as a type of racial discrimination is from 1943. In mid-19c., Jim Crow also could be a reference to someone's change of (political) principles (from the "jump" in the song).[Jim Crow etymology, Jim Crow origin, 英语词源] - jim-dandy (n.)
- "remarkable person or thing," 1844, perhaps from an old song, "Dandy Jim of Caroline" (1840s).
- jiminy
- exclamation of surprise, 1803, a disguised oath, perhaps for Jesu Domine "Jesus Lord." Extended form jiminy cricket is attested from 1848 and suggests Jesus Christ (compare also Jiminy Christmas, 1890).
- jimmies (n.)
- bits of candy as ice cream topping, by 1963, American English.
- jimmy (n.)
- "burglar's crowbar," 1848, variant of jemmy, name for a type of crowbar much used by burglars, special use of Jemmy, familiar form of proper name James (also see jack).
- jimmy (v.)
- 1893, from jimmy (n.). Related: Jimmied; jimmying.
- jimson weed (n.)
- also jimsonweed, 1812, American English, shortening of Jamestown-weed (1680s), from Jamestown, Virginia colony, where it was discovered by Europeans (1676), when British soldiers mistook it for an edible plant and subsequently hallucinated for 11 days.
- jim-jams (1)
- "A fit of depression or nervousness", Mid 16th century (originally denoting a small article or knick-knack): fanciful reduplication. The current sense dates from the late 19th century.
- jim-jams (2)
- "Pyjamas", Early 20th century: abbreviation of pie-jim-jams, alteration of pyjamas.