1869. Quarterly Rev., cxxvi. 350. Many is the fish who has jiggered
himself free by this method.
Not worth a jigger, phr. (common).—Valueless.
1861. Punch, xl. 145. The churches here ain’t worth a jigger—nor,
not half-a-jigger.
Jigger-dubber. See Jigger, sense 2.
Jiggered. To be jiggered! verb. phr. (common).—Used as a mild
imprecation; as Blow it! (q.v.), Bust me! (q.v.): also in astonishment.
1860. Dickens, Great Expectations, xvii. 76. ‘Well, then’, said he,
‘I’m jiggered if I don’t see you home!’
1883. Clark Russell, Sailor’s Language, s.v.
1884. Daily Telegraph, Feb. 2. p. 3. col. 2. ‘We ain’t seen the
p’liceman since, and jiggered if we want to.’
1886. Burnett, Little Lord Fauntleroy, ii. ‘Well,’ said Mr. Hobbs,
‘I’ll be jiggered!’
1888. Notes and Queries, 7 S. vi. 322. Lately, I read an article
beginning with ‘I’m jiggered if I don’t love Jane.’
1892. Milliken, ’Arry Ballads, 73. Kerrectness be folly, well
jiggered.
Jiggered up, adv. (nautical).—Used up; Exhausted.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word Book, s.v.
1883. Clark Russell, Sailor’s Language, s.v. Jiggered.
Jiggery-pokery, subs. (tailors’).—Humbug; nonsense.
Jiglets. His Jiglets! phr. (American).—A contemptuous form of address;
his nibs (q.v.).
1888. Boston Globe, 4 March. Ain’t his jiglets pretty near ready to
see de rat, Jummy.
Jig-water, subs. (American).—Bad whisky; rot-gut (q.v.). For synonyms
see Drinks and Old Man’s Milk.
1888. Boston Globe, March 4. A middle-aged countryman had just
tottered away from the counter over which jig-water is dispensed.
Jiggle, verb. (venery).—To copulate. Hence jiggling-bone = penis. For
synonyms see Creamstick and Prick.
Jiggumbob (or Jiggambob), subs. (common).—1. A knick-knack; a trinket:
anything particular, strange, or unknown. Cf. Thingambob.
1640. Brome, Antipodes, iii. 5. Kills Monster after Monster, takes
the Puppets Prisoners, knocks downe the Cyclops, tumbles all Our
jigumbobs and trinckets to the wall.
1647. Beaumont & Fletcher, Knight of Malta, iv. 1. More jiggambobs:
is not this the fellow that swom like a duck to the shore.
1657. Middleton, Women Beware Women, ii. 2. On with her chain of
pearls, her ruby bracelets, lay ready all her tricks and
jiggembobs.
1678. Butler, Hudibras, III. i. 108. He rifled all his pokes and
fobs Of jimcracks, whims, and jiggumbobs.