It’s pretty easy in English to mix up common sayings, as the language is filled with sound-alike phrases and confusing idioms. Some mean to say “for all intents and purposes” but instead come out with “for all intensive purposes.” Or they comment on a “doggy dog world” when they should say a “dog-eat-dog world.”
So when you come to the use of the phrases “jury-rigged” and “jerry-rigged,” it’s easy to get them mixed up — and you wouldn’t necessarily be wrong, as they have morphed into a similar meaning over their lengthy etymological histories. However, “jury-rigged” originally referred to something that was cleverly but only temporarily repaired, while “jerry-rigged” was something hastily or poorly built from the start.
“Jury-rigged” is the older of the two terms; it has nautical origins dating back to the 16th century. There isn’t a definitive history of the term “jerry-rigged,” though.
The term “jury-rigged” first gained ground in the 1700s, where it appeared in newspaper articles as a strictly nautical term. At that time, “jury” meant “improvised for temporary use, especially in an emergency” or “makeshift.” The meaning and usage of “jury” was older than that, though.
It was taken from the Middle English used in the 1400s, when the word “jory” meant “improvised,” and it was used only in reference to sailing. A “jory sail,” which was a common term, was synonymous with an “improvised sail,” one that had been patched up well enough to catch the wind.
The “rigged” in “jury-rigged” also came from the 1400s, and it referred to the “rigging” of a boat. In this context, the rigging was the ropes and chains aboard a ship that worked the sail and supported the masts. So, jury-rigged taken together translates to a temporary solution that repairs or replaces something. And that’s not exactly what “jerry-rigged” means.
No one’s sure just how the term “jerry-rigged” originated, but many believe it’s a variation of “jury-rigged” that refers to something that’s “jerry-built” or “cheaply or poorly made,” an important distinction in meaning. While “jury-rigged” refers to something that’s been temporarily (and often cleverly) repaired, “jerry-rigged” refers to something that wasn’t well-built in the first place.
So, it seems that “jerry-rigged” is a mashup between “jury-rigged” and “jerry-built,” but don’t think it doesn’t count for anything. References ranging from The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary accept its usage as an “official word” of the English language.
But don’t get either “jury-rigged” or “jerry-rigged” confused with a “jimmy rig.” While a jury-rig and a jerry-rig both refer to repairs designed to aid an object’s function, something that’s “jimmy-rigged” has a temporary fix that isn’t expected to work at all.
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