Comments on: Jacks http://www.word-detective.com/2008/02/12/jacks/ Semper Ubi Sub Ubi Sat, 11 Feb 2012 00:50:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: bob http://www.word-detective.com/2008/02/12/jacks/comment-page-1/#comment-29309 bob Sun, 25 Dec 2011 05:53:48 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/2008/02/12/jacks/#comment-29309 Jacks, I learnt it in inner Melbourne as a young lad as a reference to the cops @Steve, jumping jacks = a nasty little ant that packs a wallop of a sting in Oz, from the same family as Bull ants. I never really thought about were that little buggers common name came from but now, perhaps there is a connection between the two.. lol Jacks, I learnt it in inner Melbourne as a young lad as a reference to the cops
@Steve, jumping jacks = a nasty little ant that packs a wallop of a sting in Oz, from the same family as Bull ants. I never really thought about were that little buggers common name came from but now, perhaps there is a connection between the two.. lol

]]> By: prawna http://www.word-detective.com/2008/02/12/jacks/comment-page-1/#comment-21764 prawna Mon, 22 Aug 2011 03:42:16 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/2008/02/12/jacks/#comment-21764 I've been using the term since i was in primary school and I am now 40. I also come from S.E Victoria like one of the earlier posts. I originally thought it was just Australians rebellious nature and used because we didn't want to copy the UK and use "the old bill". After a little bit of searching and thinking the "Jackboot theory" seemed the most plausible to me imho. I’ve been using the term since i was in primary school and I am now 40. I also come from S.E Victoria like one of the earlier posts. I originally thought it was just Australians rebellious nature and used because we didn’t want to copy the UK and use “the old bill”. After a little bit of searching and thinking the “Jackboot theory” seemed the most plausible to me imho.

]]> By: James http://www.word-detective.com/2008/02/12/jacks/comment-page-1/#comment-17554 James Thu, 05 May 2011 12:20:22 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/2008/02/12/jacks/#comment-17554 to add to that^ ...its also a term im only starting to here more of along with stuff like 'lad' but it may just be stupid slang that other kids have started saying randomly to add to that^
…its also a term im only starting to here more of along with stuff like ‘lad’ but it may just be stupid slang that other kids have started saying randomly

]]> By: James http://www.word-detective.com/2008/02/12/jacks/comment-page-1/#comment-17553 James Thu, 05 May 2011 12:14:37 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/2008/02/12/jacks/#comment-17553 Okay, so im 16 and live in the south east suburbs of Victoria, and the main terms ive heard for cops lately are 'pigs' and 'the jacks', i dont know where it originated, but its a term to put down the police really, about 2 weeks back i was at a festival in warryndyte and a fight between two girls broke out and they were really getting violent, there was a massive crowd edging them on aswell, well when the cops came people yelled 'the jacks!' and everyone split, my mates and all the 'rats' in our area refer to the cops as 'the jacks' so its actually a very widely known term in the south eastern suburbs of Vic from my experience most notably the Maroondah and Knox areas. Okay, so im 16 and live in the south east suburbs of Victoria, and the main terms ive heard for cops lately are ‘pigs’ and ‘the jacks’, i dont know where it originated, but its a term to put down the police really, about 2 weeks back i was at a festival in warryndyte and a fight between two girls broke out and they were really getting violent, there was a massive crowd edging them on aswell, well when the cops came people yelled ‘the jacks!’ and everyone split, my mates and all the ‘rats’ in our area refer to the cops as ‘the jacks’ so its actually a very widely known term in the south eastern suburbs of Vic from my experience most notably the Maroondah and Knox areas.

]]> By: Steve http://www.word-detective.com/2008/02/12/jacks/comment-page-1/#comment-15578 Steve Sat, 26 Mar 2011 18:26:54 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/2008/02/12/jacks/#comment-15578 Police officers in Merseyside (Liverpool, England) describe the CID as "Jacks", it's neither derogatory (unless prefixed with fat or lazy of course) nor a compliment but simply a label. I've heard several explanations such as "jack of all trades" based on multi-skills, "jack the lads" based on drinking culture, and even "jumping jacks" which didn't have an explanation. I don't buy into any of those and find the reference in the article to plain clothes officers drinking in a pub being exposed as an interesting and likely theory. I've given up hope on getting to the bottom of this question and like otherEnglish references on here, it's not common in England, it only appears to be Merseyside that uses it and it's the officers that use the term internally, not the public (criminal or otherwise). Police officers in Merseyside (Liverpool, England) describe the CID as “Jacks”, it’s neither derogatory (unless prefixed with fat or lazy of course) nor a compliment but simply a label. I’ve heard several explanations such as “jack of all trades” based on multi-skills, “jack the lads” based on drinking culture, and even “jumping jacks” which didn’t have an explanation. I don’t buy into any of those and find the reference in the article to plain clothes officers drinking in a pub being exposed as an interesting and likely theory. I’ve given up hope on getting to the bottom of this question and like otherEnglish references on here, it’s not common in England, it only appears to be Merseyside that uses it and it’s the officers that use the term internally, not the public (criminal or otherwise).

]]> By: Grill Gambit http://www.word-detective.com/2008/02/12/jacks/comment-page-1/#comment-15493 Grill Gambit Fri, 25 Mar 2011 04:36:33 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/2008/02/12/jacks/#comment-15493 Thanks for your most informative article on the use of the term Jack to refer to coppers. It is, I can assure you, the term of choice of evildoers within this wide brown land. Coppers is #2. John Darme. LOL. A scream. And Jack as an STI is short for Jack in the Box = Pox. Jack is sometimes used to mean jack Dancer = Cancer but I prefer Spanish = Spanish Dancer. Spanish, btw is used in the car game to mean Rust. Rust = Cancer = Spanish Dancer. BTW Jack as Copper is popular not only with crooks but with the poor in general. West Heidelberg is a perfect place to find it in use. Thanks for your most informative article on the use of the term Jack to refer to coppers. It is, I can assure you, the term of choice of evildoers within this wide brown land. Coppers is #2.

John Darme. LOL. A scream.

And Jack as an STI is short for Jack in the Box = Pox. Jack is sometimes used to mean jack Dancer = Cancer but I prefer Spanish = Spanish Dancer. Spanish, btw is used in the car game to mean Rust. Rust = Cancer = Spanish Dancer.

BTW Jack as Copper is popular not only with crooks but with the poor in general. West Heidelberg is a perfect place to find it in use.

]]> By: Clem http://www.word-detective.com/2008/02/12/jacks/comment-page-1/#comment-13152 Clem Fri, 11 Feb 2011 11:21:58 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/2008/02/12/jacks/#comment-13152 Its certainly used in melbourne. I'm a criminal lawyer and all our clients use this term. I'd never heard it before. Don't think it's common outside crim circles! Its certainly used in melbourne. I’m a criminal lawyer and all our clients use this term. I’d never heard it before. Don’t think it’s common outside crim circles!

]]> By: Evan http://www.word-detective.com/2008/02/12/jacks/comment-page-1/#comment-12719 Evan Sat, 05 Feb 2011 16:17:39 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/2008/02/12/jacks/#comment-12719 In the U.S., one frequently hears the term 'Jake' used to refer to a police officer, especially in the speech of urban minorities. One could find a million examples in the albums of rappers from across the country. Similarly, the word 'Johnnies' is used by some, especially in the Midwest. In the U.S., one frequently hears the term ‘Jake’ used to refer to a police officer, especially in the speech of urban minorities. One could find a million examples in the albums of rappers from across the country. Similarly, the word ‘Johnnies’ is used by some, especially in the Midwest.

]]> By: poll http://www.word-detective.com/2008/02/12/jacks/comment-page-1/#comment-5160 poll Mon, 28 Jun 2010 02:15:31 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/2008/02/12/jacks/#comment-5160 “Jacques” the French equivalent of “James” (Jacob)? Isn’t “Jean” the French equivalent of “John” , No i don't think so , but would be interesting to think about it “Jacques” the French equivalent of “James” (Jacob)? Isn’t “Jean” the French equivalent of “John” , No i don’t think so , but would be interesting to think about it

]]> By: Tomm http://www.word-detective.com/2008/02/12/jacks/comment-page-1/#comment-5145 Tomm Sat, 26 Jun 2010 07:13:11 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/2008/02/12/jacks/#comment-5145 i think its short for jackass i think its short for jackass

]]> By: John http://www.word-detective.com/2008/02/12/jacks/comment-page-1/#comment-4786 John Mon, 10 May 2010 07:53:35 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/2008/02/12/jacks/#comment-4786 The Australian Military Police, MP's, or Provost Corps were known as the Jacks as early as WWI. Perhaps because of the slang Lance-Jack rank but I suggest the John Darme, gendarme, theory is most likely. Especially when you consider thousands and thousands of off-duty Aussie troops would have had a lot to do with the gendarmes during WWI. The Australian Military Police, MP’s, or Provost Corps were known as the Jacks as early as WWI. Perhaps because of the slang Lance-Jack rank but I suggest the John Darme, gendarme, theory is most likely. Especially when you consider thousands and thousands of off-duty Aussie troops would have had a lot to do with the gendarmes during WWI.

]]> By: All wrong http://www.word-detective.com/2008/02/12/jacks/comment-page-1/#comment-3749 All wrong Sat, 09 Jan 2010 13:43:00 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/2008/02/12/jacks/#comment-3749 It is a US term. It's because in the US they wore standard military jack boots It is a US term. It’s because in the US they wore standard military jack boots

]]>