Chapter Jerked to Jew of J by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Jerked to Jew

Jerked [beef], a corruption of the Peruvian word charqui, meat cut into strips and dried in the sun to preserve it. (See Mayne Reid's novels.)

Jerkin A short coat or jacket; a close waistcoat.

"Mistress line, is not this my jerkin? Now is the jerkin under the line." - Shakespeare: The Tempest, iv. 1.

Jeroboam of Rum or Claret (A). Eight bottles; but of whisky three pints. Probably a perversion of "joram." (See Tappit-Hen and Rehoboam.)

"Some `jeroboams' of very old rum went at each; several `tappit-hens, of rum fetched and some `magnums,' 17s. each." - Truth, 31st March, 1887.

   A magnum = 2 quart bottles; a tappithen = 2 magnums; a jeroboam = 2 tappit-hens; and a rehoboam = 2 jeroboams or 16 quart bottles.

Jerome (St.). Generally represented as an aged man in a cardinal's dress, writing or studying, with a lion seated beside him. The best painting of this saint is The Communion of St. Jerome, by Domenichino, in the Vatican. It is placed opposite Raphael's Transfiguration.

Jeronimo The chief character in the Spanish Tragedy by Thomas Kyd. On finding his application to the king ill-timed, he says to himself, "Go by, Jeronimo," which tickled the fancy of the audience so that it became for a time the current street jest.

Jerry-built unsubstantial. A "jerry-builder" is a speculative builder who runs up cheap, unsubstantial houses, using materials of the commonest kind. (See Jury Mast.)

Jerry-shop or a Tom and Jerry Shop. A low-class beer-house. Probably the Tom and Jerry was a public-house sign when Pierce Egan's Life in London was popular.

Jerry Sneak A henpecked husband, from a celebrated character in Foote's farce of the Mayor of Garratt.

Jerrymander (See Gerrymander .)

Jersey is Caesar's-ey - i.e. Caesar's island. so called in honour of Julius Caesar.

Jerusalem in Dryden's satire of Absalom and Achitophel, means London. (Part i. verse 86, etc.)

Jerusalem Artichoke A corruption of Girasolë articiocco. Girasole is the sunflower, which this vegetable resembles both in leaf and stem.

Jerusalem Chamber The Chapter-house of Westminster Abbey. Henry IV. died there, March 20, 1413.

"It hath been prophesied to me many years,
I should not die but in Jerusalem."
Shakespeare: 2 Henry IV., iv. 5.

    Pope Silvester II. was told the same thing, and he died as he was saying mass in a church so called. (Bacon: Tusculum.)
   The Lower House of Convocation now meets in the Jerusalem Chamber. The Upper House meets at Mr. Hodgson's, in Dean's Yard, Westminster.

Jerusalem Delivered An epic in twenty books, by Torquato Tasso (1544-1595).
   The crusaders, encamped on the plains of Tortosa, chose Godfrey for their chief, and Alandine, King of Jerusalem, made preparations of defence. The overtures of Argantes to Godfrey being declined, he declared war in the name of the king of Egypt. The Christian army having reached Jerusalem, the king of Damascus sent Armida to beguile the Christians; she told an artful tale by which she drew off several of the most puissant. It was found that Jerusalem could never be taken without the aid of Rinaldo; but Rinaldo had withdrawn from the army, because Godfrey had cited him to answer for the death of Girnando, slain in a duel. Godfrey, being informed that the hero was dallying with Armida in the enchanted island, sent to invite him back to the army; he returned, and Jerusalem was taken in a night attack. As for Armida, after setting fire to her palace, she fled into Egypt, and offered to marry any knight who slew Rinald; but when she found the Christian army was successful she fled from the field. The love of Rinaldo returned; he pursued her and