retronym: JUG

[Jonathan Lighter]

When I was in high school, bad behavior brought "detention" in the "detention room." A few minutes ago on Fox News, Curtis Sliwa explained that in his Jesuit high school in the 1960s detention was known as "jug," which stood for "Judgment Under God."  He seemed to imply that these words were even displayed on a sign at the entrance to what was officially called "penance hall."

  Ellis Henican, who attended a different Jesuit school, agreed that his school employed the "JUG" terminology as well.

  HDAS offers one ex. of "jug"  (n., 1.c) as after-school detention from an NYU student in 1970. He (or she - I don't remember) did not allude to any acronymic interpretation.

  The true origin of this sort of "jug" appears to lie in the much older sense of "lockup."

  JL


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