Jig walk (1908)

[Douglas G. Wilson]

Here is an early example of "jig walk" = "black person".

 From N'archive:

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_Washington Post_, 9 Feb. 1908: "Miscellany section", p.2:

[title: "Honesty the Best Policy Slip"]

[a tale told by a criminal, who has "adopted the vernacular of the underworld"]

[set in Norfolk (presumably VA)]

[attrib. _New York Telegraph_]

<<There is a big dinge club in the block and there happened to be a bunch
of [']jig walks['] posing around the door[.]>>

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There are a number of other slang expressions in this piece, including
"boob" = "jail", "gee" = "man".

Somebody who has access to a different archive should verify the above
quotation since the reproduction of this page is poor at N'archive.

Whence "jig-walk"? Any guesses?

-- Doug Wilson


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