jerry-built
But racist, right?
I walk. I talk. I shop, I sneeze. I'm gonna be a fireman when the floods roll back. There's trees in the desert since you moved out. And I don't sleep on a bed of bones.
Buffy ,'Chosen'
Natter 70: Hookers and Blow
Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, duct tape, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.
Liese S. - Nov 03, 2012 5:35:52 pm PDT #28451 of 30001
"Faded like the lilac, he thought."
aurelia - Nov 03, 2012 5:36:30 pm PDT #28452 of 30001
All sorrows can be borne if you put them into a story. Tell me a story.
is it jury-rig and jerry-built, or the other way around?
I don't know if they have any answers, but my co-workers have opinions on that. [link]
But racist, right?
That is my understanding.
meara - Nov 03, 2012 5:37:11 pm PDT #28453 of 30001
But racist, right?
About Germans? I'm having vague memories. I suppose that's what the internet is for.
meara - Nov 03, 2012 5:38:37 pm PDT #28454 of 30001
Hmm, one source I found says:
"Jerry-built", which the OED defines as "built unsubstantially of bad materials; built to sell but not last" is attested since 1869, and is said to have arisen in Liverpool. It has been fancifully derived from the Biblical city of Jericho, whose walls came tumbling down; from the prophet Jeremiah, because he foretold decay; from the name of a building firm on the Mersey; from "jelly", signifying instability; from French _jour_="day" (workers paid day-by-day considered less likely to do a good job); and from the Romany _gerry_="excrement". More likely, it is linked to earlier pejorative uses of the name Jerry ("jerrymumble", to knock about, 1721; "Jerry Sneak", a henpecked husband, 1764; "jerry", a cheap beer house, 1861); and it may have been influenced by "jury-rigged".
"Jerry" as British slang for "a German, especially a German soldier" is not attested until 1898 and is unconnected with "jerry-built".
Zenkitty - Nov 03, 2012 5:48:13 pm PDT #28455 of 30001
Every now and then, I think I might actually be a little odd.
I hope that means I can still say jerry-built and jerry-rigged, which are useful terms in my vocabulary. It had never occurred to me before now that it might be a slur against Germans.
le nubian - Nov 03, 2012 5:53:25 pm PDT #28456 of 30001
"And to be clear, I am the hell. And the high water."
the whole concept of interstellar porn is giving me the giggles.
tommyrot - Nov 03, 2012 5:55:30 pm PDT #28457 of 30001
Sir, it's not an offence to let your cat eat your bacon. Okay? And we don't arrest cats, I'm very sorry.
Well, I'm half-German and I don't give a fuck. Or maybe that's the Finn in me.
SuziQ - Nov 03, 2012 5:55:41 pm PDT #28458 of 30001
Back tattoos of the mother is that you are absolutely right - Ame
The pissy is downgraded to seriously annoyed. Eating dinner seems to have helped.
aurelia - Nov 03, 2012 6:01:48 pm PDT #28459 of 30001
All sorrows can be borne if you put them into a story. Tell me a story.
Shrift (and other Chicago types), have you seen Slightly Insulting Chicago Posters new River North design? [link]
tommyrot - Nov 03, 2012 6:08:25 pm PDT #28460 of 30001
Sir, it's not an offence to let your cat eat your bacon. Okay? And we don't arrest cats, I'm very sorry.
The Rogers Park one is mostly true. Although I will say that in the three years I've lived here, I don't think there have been any murders within a two-block radius of my place (not counting Howard St.). I definitely could not say that about my three years in Minneapolis.