1888. Cassell’s Sat. Journal, 8 Dec, p. 261. He had a strong
suspicion that the old coal jagger was an aider and abettor.
Jague, subs. (Old Cant.).—A ditch.
1622. Head & Kikman, English Rogue, ‘Canting Song’. Let Cove bing
then, Thro’ Ruffmans, jague or Laund.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v.
1754. Scoundrel’s Dict., s.v.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v.
Jail-bird, subs. (Old Cant: now recognised).—A prisoner; a crack-halter
(q.v.).—[Cf. Cage and Canary].
1603. Davies (of Hereford), Microcosmus, in Works [Grosart], i.
991. ‘To the Lady Rich.’ But such a iaile-birde heavenly
nightingale.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Jayl-birds.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1819. Moore, Tom Crib’s Memorial, 77. A new set of darbies, when
first they are worn, Makes the jail-bird uneasy.
1849. Mahony, Reliques of Father Prout (Bohn) p. 233. The fellow
must be what Terry calls ‘a bad mimber intirely,’ what we English
call a jail-bird; what the French denominate a ‘vrai gibier de
grève;’ termed in Latin ‘corvus patibularius’; and by the Greeks,
κακου κορακος κακον ωον.
Jakes, subs. (old colloquial).—A privy; a house of office. [Century:
The occurrence of dial. johnny, a jakes—‘also called Mrs. Jones by
country people’ (Halliwell), with dial. Tom, a close-stool, suggests
that jakes was originally Jake’s or Jack’s, a humorous euphemism]. Also
(Scots) Jack. See Ajax.
c. 1550. Inglelend, Disobedient Child [Dodsley, Old Plays (1874),
ii. 276]. To ... do as poor knaves, which jakes do scour.
1596. Nashe, Have With You, etc., in Works [Grosart], iii. 196. I
worse scorne it than to have so foul a jakes as his mouth for my
groning stool.
1598. Florio, Worlde of Wordes, s.v. Condotto.... Also a conduite,
a priuie, a iakes, a sinke.
1605. Camden, Remains, p. 307. Soloman, a Jew, fell into a jaxe at
Tewkesbury on a Saturday.
1605. Shakspeare, Lear, ii. 2. I will tread this unbolted villain
into mortar, and daub the walls of a jakes with him.
1641. Milton, Apology for Smectymnuus. Christe himself, speaking of
unsavory traditions scruples not to name the Dunghill and the
jakes.
1678. Cotton, Virgil Travestie, in Wks. (1725), Bk. iv. p. 91. Thou
here thyself most busie makes In building for the Queen a jakes.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Jakes.
1728. Pope, Dunciad, i. 144. And ’scape the martyrdom of jakes and
fire.
1737. The Mobiad [quoted in N. & Q. 2 S. xi. 125]. Now Chiefs of
haughty bosom supple stoop Ev’n to the jakes to angle for a dupe.
1751–54. Jortin, Remarks on Eccl. Hist., an. 379. Their tenets were
an horrible confusion of all sorts of impieties, which flowed into
this sect as into a jakes.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
Jakes-farmer, subs. (old).—An emptier of cesspools; a gold-finder
(q.v.). Also Jakes-raker (Skelton) and Jakes-barreller.
1596. Nashe, Have With You, in Works [Grosart], iii. 196. Like a
jakes-bareller.
1606. Marston, Fawne, ii. 1. Nay, I will embrace a jakes-farmer,
after eleven o’clock at night.
1613. Chapman, Jonson & Marston, Insatiate Countess, ii. 2. Well,
what time goes the jakes-farmer?
1615. Sylvester, Tobacco Battered &c., Wks., p. 575. Not scorning
scullions, coblers, colliers, jakes-farmers, fidlers, ostlers,
oysterers.
1647. Beaumont & Fletcher, Love’s Cure, ii. 1. Nay we are all
signiors here in Spain, from the jakes farmer to the grandee, or
adelantado.
Jam, subs. (common).—1. A sweetheart; a mistress: also bit of jam.
Lawful-jam = a wife.
c. 1880. Broadside Ballad. ‘Just the Identical Man.’ And he made
this young girl feel queer When he called me his jam, His pet and
his lamb.
c. 1886. Broadside Ballad. ‘Up they Go.’ There were three bits of
jam stepping out of the tram, So we tipped them a wink in a trice.
1889. Henley, Villon’s Good Night. Gay grass-widows and lawful-jam.
2. (venery).—The female pudendum: whence To have a bit of jam = to
copulate: cf. Tart. Fr. sucre.