Jiggered is a slightly old-fashioned term meaning tired out, but at least one dictionary suspects that the origin of this word is aa a euphemism for buggered. It is a common thing in many languages, countries and societies, to imagine that by changing one or in this case, two letters, you can turn a downright dirty expletive into a socially acceptable exclamation. I lived in Ireland, where the robust four-letter Anglo-Saxon swear word (meaning copulation), is bowdlerised into the word “Feck!” which perfectly respectable people deem okay to say.
Bowdlerisation is named after the English physician Thomas Bowdler (1754–1825). In 1818 he published a censored version of William Shakespeare (The Family Shakespeare), expurgating “those words and expressions […] which cannot with propriety be read aloud in a family.”1
We shall encounter this phenomenon again when we come to words of a religious bent – but not until the letter Z (spoiler alert – for Zounds).
So “J “was another difficult letter to find a word or phrase for but it is the last one for which I have not found multiple candidates so hurry on but come back tomorrow…
However, we do have four examples of Cant (cryptolect, argot, pseudo-language, anti-language or secret language) from Wikipedia…
- Javanais, from France
- Jejemon, from the Philippines
- Jeringonza, from Spain
- Joual, from Quebec French
Jiggers are fleas, so to be jiggered could mean to be flea-bitten or infested – lovely thought for a sunny morning.
Thanks for that, it rings a bell! Yes, not the best breakfast fodder, and tomorrow we have Kick the Bucket… Lordy!
I wonder if jiggers are the same parasitic beasty as chiggers. I know of chiggers from family living in Florida. I must say, you have a very interesting blog here.
I am fascinated by the world and probably bore the ears off long-suffering friends and relations, but in the right place, such as here, I can give free rein to my fascination and I am glad it works for you too…
Jiggers are fleas? Midnight, my cat, is NOT a fan, 🙂 I learn so much from your posts, The ghost of Jung drops by my post. http://rolandyeomans.blogspot.com/2023/04/j-is-for-excuse-me-i-must-be-leaving.html
It’s a two-way process, learning – I didn’t know they were fleas either! Thanks for visiting…
I just heard this used on a TV show I was watching, first time but I like the term.
My A to Z Blogs
DB McNicol – Small Delights, Simple Pleasures, and Significant Memories
My Snap Memories – My Life in Black & White
Synchronicity…
I need to make more time for visiting and reading and commenting.. and every year I think I will have my posts up and scheduled before April, but come April i find myself writing posts on the day of.. oh well, that leaves me feeling jiggered indeed (as in exhausted) but next year is always there!!
Thanks for another fun post and will catch up on the letters I missed as well soon.
My post is here
I could say the same thing Vidya, although this year is my best to date for “staying ahead of the curve”, thank goodness for Sundays when we can catch up with replying to comments and visiting other sites…
I’ve read, “I’ll be jiggered!” as an exclamation of astonishment, used in the same sense as “Bugger me”, so that would support the word as a euphemism for buggered. For an expression of exhaustion, I’ve heard, “I’m plum tuckered out.” Both are outdated, though.
Loving your theme.
Yeah, I think of jiggered as dumbfounded rather than tired.
Frick, freak, heck, shoot… so many not-quite-swearwords!
Alphabet of Alphabets: Jung Juvenile