jitney
English
Etymology
1886, originally for a five-cent US coin (a nickel);[1] use for taxis and buses due to these services originally charging five cents as fare, popularized circa 1915.[2][3][4][5][6]
The etymology is uncertain; it is believed to originate from Louisiana Creole jetnée, from French jeton (“token, coin-sized metal disc”),[4][7][8] though this is disputed. Evidence for the Louisiana Creole French origin include the geographic distribution (Southeastern US, especially Negro/African-American), and early spelling as gitney, which is common French spelling for the /ji/ pronunciation.[8]
Noun
jitney (plural jitneys)
- A small bus or minibus which typically operates service on a fixed route, sometimes scheduled.
- An unlicensed taxi cab.
- A shared-ride taxi.
- (US, archaic) A small coin, a nickel.
- (in attributive use, US, archaic) Very inexpensive.
- (Canada) An informal lawn bowling or curling competition in which all players present are randomly drawn into teams.
- (Can we clean up(+) this sense?) A fraudulent arrangement whereby a broker who has direct access to an exchange executes trades on behalf of a broker who doesn't.
References
- ^ 1886 Dec 09, Springfield Globe-Republic (now Springfield Daily Republic), Springfield, Ohio, p. 1
Different names for a Five-Cent Piece. … “Do it for a ‘jitney,’” cited in Why did Jitney become slang for nickel?, answer by JEL, 2017-01-12 - ^ Lua error in Module:quote at line 2964: Parameter "author-link" is not used by this template.
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- ^ Los Angeles Herald, Volume XLI, Number 158, 4 May 1915: Jitney Etiquette—Simple Rules for Beginners
- ^ Los Angeles Herald, Volume XLI, Number 248, 17 August 1915: Jitney Jingle
- ^ Literary Digest, Frank H. Vizetelly, "The Lexicographer's Easy Chair", May 1, 1915, p. 1062, col 2–3
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 David L. Gold, Studies in Etymology and Etiology, 2009, "9. American English jitney 'five-cent coin; sum of five cents' Has No Apparent Jewish or Russian Connection and May Come from (Black?) Louisiana French jetnée (On the Increasing Difficulty of Harvesting All the Grain)", p. 163–192