1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v. Jacket. The fly cops pulled him, and
allowed the flat cops to jacket him.
To give a red-laced jacket, verb. phr. (old military).—To flog.
1871. Temple Bar, XXXI, 311. When soldiers used to be flogged more
commonly than now, their commanders used to facetiously call it,
giving them a red-laced jacket.
To line one’s jacket, verb. phr. (old).—To eat or drink; to fill one’s
stomach. For synonyms see Grub.
1611. Cotgrave, Dictionarie, Il s’accoustre bien. He stuffes
himselfe soundly, hee lines his jacket throughly with liquor.
Pull down your jacket (or vest), phr. (American).—Keep cool! don’t get
excited! hold your hair on (q.v.)!
To send in one’s jacket, verb. phr. (jockies’).—To resign; to deliver
up one’s badge of office.
1884. Hawley Smart, From Post to Finish, p. 222. ‘I presume you
know the consequences of refusing?’ ‘I shall have to send in my
jacket, I suppose.’ The baronet nodded.
Jacketing, subs. (common).—A thrashing; a reprimand.
1851–61. Mayhew, Lond. Lab. & Lond. Poor, i. 92. I don’t work on
Sundays. If I did, I’d get a jacketing.
1862. Mrs. H. Wood, Channings, lvii. ‘You may look Mr. Tod but I’ll
be after giving ye a jacketing for ye’re pains.’
1871. Durham County Advertiser, 10 Nov. The quiet man told him
about having found it, and got a jacketing for not having come
direct and reported it at once.
1883. Graphic, May 26, 531, 3. Who the moment before had been
administering a vigorous jacketing to him anent her neglected
wardrobe.
1893. Emerson, Signor Lippo, xvi. I eased up, and he gave me a
jacketing.
Jacket-reverser, subs. (common).—A turncoat.
Jackey, subs. (old).—Gin. For synonyms see Drinks and Satin.
1811. Lex. Bal. s.v. Jackey, Gin.
1821. Egan, Life in London, p. 179. Taking her drops of jackey with
old Mother Brimstone.
1823. Bee, Dict. of the Turf, s.v.
1827. Lytton, Pelham, [ed. 1864] p. 302. Well, you parish bull
prig, are you for lushing jackey, or pattering in the hum-box.
1859. Sala, Gaslight and Daylight, xxiii. The stuff itself, which
in the western gin-shops goes generally by the name of ‘blue ruin’
or ‘short,’ is here called ... jackey.
1878. W. S. Gilbert, Pinafore, i. I’ve snuff, and tobacky, And
excellent jackey.
Jack-frost, subs. (colloquial).—A popular personification of frost; cf.
John Fog and Tommy Snow.
1888. Notes & Queries, 7 S.v. 109. This jubilee year of 1887 has
not commenced very well with us sporting folk. Jack Frost, John
Fog, and Tommy Snow, having formed themselves into a syndicate,
spoilt all our Christmas steeplechasing and hurdle-racing.
Jack-gagger, subs. (American thieves’).—A man living on his wife’s
prostitution; a married ponce (q.v.).—Matsell (1859).
Jack Ketch (or Kitch), subs. (old).—A hangman or executioner; a
dancing-master (q.v.); a tops-man (q.v.). [From a famous practitioner
of that name (circa 1663–86). Before his time the office had been
filled by men whose names each and all became popular colloquialisms:
e.g. Derrick (q.v.); Gregory Brandon (Gregorian Tree q.v.); Dun
(q.v.).]
French synonyms. L’adjoint (thieves’: the assistant); l’aricoteur
(thieves’); le béquillard (thieves’); le béquilleur (thieves’); le
bourreau (= the hangman); le buteur (thieves’); le Charlot (popular:
les soubrettes de Charlot = Charley’s maids: cf. Monsieur de Paris: le
panier à Charlot = Charley’s basket); le faucheur (popular: = the
reaper); le mec des gerbiers (thieves’); l’Haricoteur (thieves’); le
marlou de Charlotte (thieves’: = Lottie’s ponce); le mécanicien (pop.:
= engine-driver); Monsieur de Paris (pop.: an official title); le père
Rasibus (pop.: a play on raser = to shave); le tolle or tollart
(thieves’); le rouastre (thieves’: = ‘sawbones’); le marieux; le
lamboureur.
Italian synonyms. Cattaron; cattarone.
Spanish synonyms. Caffler; malvechino.
1676. Darkmans Budge, verse 5. And we come to the Nubbing-Cheat,
For running on the Budge, There stands Jack Kitch, that son of a
Bitch.
1678. Broadside, ‘The Plotters’ Ballad, being Jack Ketch’s
incomparable Receipt for the cure of Traytorous Recusants &c.
1682. Durfey, Butler’s Ghost, p. 54. Till Ketch observing he was
chous’d, &c.
1682. Dryden, Epil. to Duke of Guise, 30. ‘Jack Ketch,’ says I, ‘’s
an excellent physician.’
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Jack Kitch, c, the Hangman of
that Name, but now all his Successors.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1849–61. Macaulay, Hist. Eng. v, Note. He (Monmouth) then
encountered Jack Ketch, the executioner ... whose name has, during
a century and a half, been vulgarly given to all who have succeeded
him in his odious office.
1856. C. Reade, Never Too Late, lxx. ‘He will come back without
fear, and we will nail him with the fifty pound note upon him: and
then—Jack Ketch.’
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v.
1870. Mansfield, School-Life at Winchester College, p. 109. The
culprit had to ‘order his name to the Bible-clerk,’ and that
individual, with the help of Ostiarius, performed the office of
Jack Ketch.
Verb. (old).—To hang.
1694. Gentlemen’s Journal, June, p. 147. Jack-Ketch thyself or cut
thy throat.
Jack Ketch’s kitchen, subs. phr. (old). See quots.
1714. Memoirs of John Hall (4th ed.), p. 17. Over them is Jack
Ketch his kitchen, where, in Pitch, Tar and Oil, he boils the
Quarters of ... Traitors.
1882. Fortnightly Review, xxxi, 798. ‘Jack Ketch’s kitchen’: A room
in Newgate, where that honest fellow, the hangman, boiled the
quarters of those executed and dismembered for high treason.
Jack Ketch’s Pippin, subs. phr. (old).—A candidate for the gallows; a
gallows-apple: cf. Hempseed.
Jack-leg, subs. and adj. (American).—Blackleg.
1888. Florida Times Union, 11 Feb. It seems that the State Bar
Association is disposed to draw the line between attornies and
jack-leg lawyers.
Jackman. See Jarkman.
Jack-Nasty, subs. (common).—A sneak; a sloven: cf. Jack-nasty-face.
1856. T. Hughes, Tom Brown’s School-Days, I. iii. Tom and his
younger brothers, as they grew up, went on playing with the village
boys, without the idea of equality or inequality (except in
wrestling, running, and climbing) ever entering their heads, as it
doesn’t till it’s put there by jack nastys or fine ladies’ maids.
Jack-nasty-face, subs. (old).—1. A sailor; specifically a cook.
1811. Lex. Bal., s.v.
1884. G. A. Sala, in Ill. Lond. News, April 12, p. 339, col. 3. I
should be glad to learn ... why the cook’s mate is called
‘Jack-nasty-face.’