Jams, subs. (common).—An abbreviation of jim-jams (q.v.).
Jan, subs. (Old Cant).—A purse. For synonyms see Poge.
1610. Rowlands, Martin Markall, p. 39 (H. Club’s Repr. 1874) s.v.
Jane, subs. (thieves’).—A sovereign. For synonyms see Canary.
1864. Times, 14 April, ‘Law Report.’ He had told me before I went
out, that I could keep half a jane. A jane is a sovereign.
Jane-of-apes, subs. (old).—A pert forward girl; the counterpart of
jackanapes (q.v.).
1624. Massinger, Bondman, iii, 3. Here’s Jane-of-apes shall serve.
Jango, subs. (obsolete).—Liquor.
1721. Ramsay, Lusky Spence’s Last Advice, in Wks. (1848), ii. 302.
Drive at the jango till he spew.
Janizary, subs. (old). See quots.
1684. Head, Proteus Redivivus, 238. At door is received by some
half-a-dozen janizaries more, of the same brotherhood.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Janizaries ... also the Mob
sometimes so called, and Bailives, Sergeants, Followers, Yeomen,
Setters, and any lewd gang depending upon others.
1691–2. Gentlemen’s Journal, March, p. 13. The aunt spied them in
deep consult with all their janizaries.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v. Janizaries, a mob of pickpockets.
1895. H. B. Marriott-Watson, The Lady’s Chamber in New Review.
lxxii, 489. And was out and away upon the turnpike to Uxbridge ere
ever a janizary were in sight.
Jannock (or Jonnock), adj. (provincial).—Sociable; fair; just;
straightforward; conclusive.
1843. Moncrieff, Scamps of London, ii. 2. You’ll act jannock
surely.
1871. Times, 4 Nov. When a gentleman, began by blowing his own
trumpet, it was not altogether jannock.
1878. Hatton, Cruel London, VIII, ii. ‘Honour bright, no kid, as we
say in London, janak, as we say in the North?’
To die jannock, verb. phr. (old).—To die with bravado.
1882. Fennell, Antiq. Chronicle, ‘Collection of Old Words,’ July,
p. 25, s.v.
Janusmug, subs. (American thieves’).—A go-between; an intermediary
between a thief and a receiver.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v.
Jap, subs. (colloquial).—A Japanner (Purchas) or Japanese.
Japan, verb. (common).—1. To ordain: To be japanned = to take orders.
1756. Connoisseur, 29 Jan. Jack ... sent me a very hearty letter,
informing me that he had been double japanned (as he called it) ...
and was the present incumbent of....
1811. Lex. Bal., s.v. japanned ... to put on the black cloth, from
the color of the Japan ware which is black.
1819. Moore, Tom Crib, 5. Lobsters will lie such a drug upon hand,
That our do-nothing Captains must all get japanned.
1852. Bristed, Five Years in an English University, 344. Many ...
step ... into the Church without any pretence of other change than
in the attire of their outward man, on being japanned, as assuming
the black dress and white tie is called in University slang.
1879. James Payn, High Spirits (Change of Views). He ... was to be
japanned in a fortnight. That was the expression which, I am
grieved to say, he used, in those unregenerate days, for the
ceremony of ordination.
2. (American thieves’).—To convert: to be japanned = to be
converted.—Matsell (1859).
3. (common).—To black one’s boots. Fr. sabouler. Also to japan one’s
trotter-cases.
1712. Gay, Trivia, [quoted by Johnson]. And aids with soot the new
japanning art.
1734. Pope, Satire, iii, 156. Prefer a new japanner to their shoes.
1755. Johnson, Eng. Dict., s.v. Japan. To black and gloss shoes. A
low phrase.
1772. G. A. Stevens, Songs Comic and Satyrical, 171. With
Courtier-like bowing the shoe-cleaners call, And offer their Brush,
Stool and shining Blackball: ‘Japanning, your Honour’, these
Colourists plan; And, really, some Honours may want a japan.
1837. Dickens, Oliver Twist, xviii. He applied himself to a process
which Mr. Dawkins designated as japanning his trotter-cases. The
phrase, rendered into plain English, signifieth cleaning his boots.
Japanese Knife-trick, subs. phr. (common).—Eating with one’s knife.
Jappers. See Jabers.
Jape, verb. (old).—To copulate. Formerly (Chaucer) = to trifle; to
scoff. For synonyms see Greens and Ride.
1510. Hycke Scorner [Dodsley, Old Plays (1874), i. 171]. Nay,
brother, lay hand on him soon; For he japed my wife, and made me
cuckold.
1530. Palsgrave. I iape a wench, i.e. fout and i.e. bistocque, it
is better to iape a wench than to do worse.
1540. Lyndsay, Thrie Estaitis, in Works (1879), ii. 23. line 324.
There is ane hundred heir sittand by That luiffis geaping als weill
as I.
c. 1550. A. Scott, Poems (1821), p. 26. Sum gois so gymp in gyis Or
sche war kissit plane, Sche leir be japit thryis.
1568. Bannatyne MSS. [Hunterian Club Rept. vi. 764]. ‘The Vse of
Court.’ His wyfe jaippit, his siller spendit.
1572. Gascoigne, Councell ... to Master ... Withipoll (Chalmers,
ii. 533). First, in thy journey jape not overmuch.
1589. Puttenham. Art of Eng. Poesie, B. iii, ch. 22. Such wordes as
may be drawen to a foule and unshamefast sense, as one that should
say to a young woman, I pray you let me jape with you, which is
indeed no more than let me sport with you.... For it may be taken
in another perverser sense.
1598. Florio, Worlde of Wordes, Fottere, to jaipe, etc.
b. 1600. Grim the Collier etc. [Dodsley, Old Plays (1874), viii.
389]. Heard you not never how an actor’s wife, Whom he (fond fool)
lov’d dearly as his life, Coming in’s way did chance to get a jape.
1602. Speght, in Wks. of Chaucer. ‘Hard Words of Chaucer
Explained’, s.v.
Jargonelle, subs. (venery).—The penis. For synonyms see Creamstick and
Prick.
Jargoozle, verb. (common).—To mislead; to lead astray; to bamboozle
(q.v.).
Jark, subs. (Old Cant.).—1. See quot. It. tirella. Also jack.
1567. Harman, Caveat (1814), p. 65. A jarke, a seal.
1608. Dekker, Belman of London, in Wks. (Grosart, iii, 102). Which
license they (beggars) call a gybe, and the Seales to it, jarkes.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v.
1724. E. Coles, Eng. Dict., s.v.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1811. Lex. Bal., s.v.
1818. Scott, Heart of Midlothian, xxv. He knows my gybe [pass] as
well as the jark [seal] of e’er a queer cuffin [justice of peace]
in England.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v.