Another random thought: jerry-rig

Because I used it in a recent post, because I have no clue as to its origins... Perhaps something clumsily-done, as in the fashion of Jerry Lewis? (just kidding)

Nope. When I did a quick google, I learned a whole lot. Who knew of the myriad history of Mr. Jerry Rig?

The alt.usage.english FAQ says:

"Jury-rigged", which means "assembled in a makeshift manner", is attested since 1788. It comes from "jury mast", a nautical term attested since 1616 for a temporary mast made from any available spar when the mast has broken or been lost overboard. The OED dubiously recorded a suggestion that this was short for "injury mast", but recent dictionaries say that it is probably from Old French _ajurie_="help or relief", from Latin _adiutare_="to aid" (the source of the English word "adjutant").

"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".

Barbara Wallraff of wordcourt.com clarifies:

“Jerry-rig” is a blend of “jerry-built” and “jury-rig,” but only recently have these two terms begun to mingle. The earliest date for “jerry-rig” given in any major dictionary is 1959, and some dictionaries don’t include it at all, for they still consider it a mistaken form—a garble.

Today “jury-rigged” and “jerry-built” mean nearly the same thing: “assembled hastily or sloppily.” “Jury-rigged” is seen only rarely, probably because the “temporary” meaning of “jury” has been all but forgotten, so “jury-rigged” does call to mind tampering with a jury in a courthouse. “Jerry-built” comes up somewhat more often...

So, it looks like I used "jerry-rigged" improperly. I meant something done as a quick but permanent fix, of less than fantastic quality -- more like the meaning of "jerry-built".

And it looks like the rumors of "jerry-rig" being an anti-German ethnic slur are incorrect as well:

"Jerry" as British slang for "a German, especially a German soldier" is not attested until 1898 and is unconnected with "jerry-built".

But that doesn't explain why the French love Jerry Lewis...!

Additionally,

...“British soldiers began calling Germans “Jerries” in World War I... But the “jerry” in “jerry-built” dates back to the mid-1800s. It may be old British slang for a chamber pot, or it may be a reference to the walls of Jericho, which came tumbling down—but word historians don’t believe it has anything to do with Germans.

Huh. So there you have it.