Subject: Re: re metric vs inches: "Jerry" building

From: "Tony P." <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 21 Sep 1996 05:44:17 -0700

Oops.  As I recall, "Jerry" building is politically incorrect.  Think 
it has something to do with an ethnic slur for Germans, or what Americans 
a century ago thought were their close cousins, the Dutch.  Maybe someone 
remembers the specifics, but it's kind of funny to refer to a botched job 
as one done in the German fashion.  Some of my German relatives would 
take offense, and they certainly seem to use metrics competently.
					Tony

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From: [email-masked] (walter Holmes)
Date: Sat, 21 Sep 1996 00:44:29

Thats what we call jerry building, a botch job. If they built your house or 
your car by those methods you'd be the first to scream when your house fell 
down, or your car wouldn't go.

To me, If its 1/2 thou out its scrap.

Walter

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From: [email-masked] (Bruce Winterbon)
Date: Sat, 21 Sep 96 11:20:54 GMT

>take offense, and they certainly seem to use metrics competently.
I think it's more likely a corruption of the nautical "jury building", or, 
more commonly in a nautical context, "jury rigging", where "jury" is a 
contraction of "injury". So it refers, originally, not to a botched job, but 
to an emergency repair.

Bruce Winterbon
[email-masked]
http://intranet.ca:80/~bwinterb

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From: "Tony P." <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 22 Sep 1996 03:04:55 -0700

After blithely speculating that the term "jerry-building" was an ethnic slur (with my 
tongue firmly -- though apparently not visibly-- in cheek regarding the irony of 
characterizing German construction methods as shoddy when the current popular perception 
is the opposite), I was taken to task by two respondents: one on etymological grounds 
(relating to "jury rigging") and by the writer who had used the term (whose "UK" i.d. I 
overlooked), somewhat incensed at my seeming accusation of insensitivity.

   I confess that my comment regarding "Jerry" related to the liberal early-to-mid 20th 
century use of the term as anti-German slang.  After research, I conclude it is at best 
unclear.

    Webster's encyclopedic dictionary of fifty years ago defines "jerry" as both a slang 
name for those of German origin and as referring to shoddy construction and materials, 
and defines "jerry-built" consistently (i.e. shoddily-built), without, however, an 
etymological note.

     Charles Funk, noted American slang etymologist, traces the term "jerry-built" to 
the "jerrybuilt" cottage (i.e. insubstantially-built residence of inferior materials) of 
mid-19th century.

     Noting both the major influx of German immigrants to the American midwest of that 
period, their impecuniousness, tenacious self-sufficiency and penchant for making 
constructive use of nearly any available materials, I suspect the reference had the 
obvious origin.  Based upon my readings and family history, the Germans might have 
practically invented recycling -- using, refurbishing and re-using tools and materials 
and eschewing the purchase of finished goods almost to the point of self-parody.  
Scholars have commented about the timber shortage in Europe as early as the 16th 
century, so no doubt landless German immigrants acquired the habit of re-using any 
available scrap of material and brought it with them.  (Somewhat contrarily, many also 
brought with them a tradition of craftsmanship in, among other things, wood, so I rather 
suspect few spent many winters in the "jerrybuilt" cottages before their 
circumstances permitted upgrading.)

  Funk notes, however, the term "jerry" in other derogatory contexts as much as 150 
years earlier in both Britain and the colonies.  We may never know the the truth.  I 
prefer to picture the earlier French, English and Scottish immigrants treating recent 
German arrivals with the same scorn every immigrant group received in its turn.

    What does this ahv eto do with metalworking, and who cares?  I dunno.

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From: [email-masked] (Spehro Pefhany)
Date: 23 Sep 1996 14:16:04 GMT

Tony P. ([email-masked]) wrought:
[some stuff on "jerry-built" ]

According to the big OED, there was an unconfirmed  newspaper report in 
1884 that related the term to the name of a building firm on the Mersey*. 
Earliest example found was in 1869. 
* Near Liverpool, England 

This predates by about 50 years the WWI application of the term "Jerry" 
to Germans. 

BTW, to the fellow who thinks anything more that .0005" out is scrap, I 
hope you don't watch workmen working on your house or look too closely at 
your car! ;-)  

S.P.

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From: Chuck Skarsaune <[email-masked]>
Date: 23 Sep 1996 11:34:43 GMT

"Tony P." <[email-masked]> wrote:
> <snip>
> so no doubt landless German immigrants acquired the habit of re-using any 
><snip>

 Well, what is has to do with metalworking is the penchant for "using, 
refurbishing, and re-using tools and materials" and  "re-using any available
scrap of material"! :)  
 This info and the German side of my family now gives me another reason/excuse
to use on my spouse when negotiating the purchase of various pieces of metal
resembling a machine tool.
 She's already found a reference on Norwegians that mentions their tendency to
be "do-it-yourself" types to the point of self parody - that explains my Dad's
side of the family!

Chuck

machine tools

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From: "Tony P." <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 23 Sep 1996 20:44:37 -0700

I was surprised to find the term goes back at least another 70 years 
(to mid-19th century)in the U.S. as well, but so does the pejorative 
ethnicism!  

   I gather that landless Germans (including younger sons of pretty good 
families) of the day had only a few choices, several of which involved 
wearing bright colors and having people wearing other colors fire weapons 
in their direction.  No doubt the otherwise-impossible dream of actual 
land ownership in the U.S. made a more pleasant alternative, based upon 
the numbers who came over.

  Weren't many of them surprised within a few years of their arrival to 
be invited to do the same thing here (get shot at), the difference being 
that here nobody was civilized enough to depart the field with only 10 or 
15% casualties.  Here, the other side acted as if they were downright 
angry with somebody.