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Jabber . to talk, or chatter. A cant word in Swift’s time. Probably from GIBBER.
Jack . the knave of trumps, at the game of all-fours.
Jack Ketch . the public hangman.—_See_ KETCH.
Jack Nasty-face . a sailor.—_Sea._ NASTY-FACE is a term applied often in London streets to an ugly or unpleasant-looking person.
Jack Sprat . a diminutive boy or man.
Jack Tar . a sailor.
Jack-at-a-pinch . one whose assistance is only sought on an emergency. Jack-in-the-water, an attendant at the watermen’s stairs on the river and sea-port towns, who does not mind wetting his feet for a customer’s convenience, in consideration of a douceur.
Jack-in-the-box . a small but powerful kind of screw, used by burglars to break open safes.
Jacked-up . ruined, done for. To JACK-UP is to leave off doing anything suddenly. _See_ CHUCK-UP.
Jacket . the skin of a potato which has not been pared before cooking. In Ireland potatoes are generally served “with their JACKETS on.”
Jacketing . a thrashing. Similar term to leathering, cowhiding, &c.
Jackey . gin. _Seven Dials_ originally. Nearly general now.
Jacks . AND HALF-JACKS, card counters, resembling in size and appearance sovereigns and half-sovereigns, for which they are occasionally passed to simple persons. In large gambling establishments the “heaps of gold” are frequently composed of JACKS. JACKS are not, as they are sometimes supposed to be, counterfeit coins; they are simply little medals, and so “magsmen” and “street muggers” carry them with less concern than they would feel were their pockets loaded with spurious money.
Jacob . a ladder. Grose says, from Jacob’s dream.—_Old Cant._
Jacob’s ladder . a longitudinal flaw in the leg of a ballet-girl’s tights.
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