Heds Up: This headline writer was smokin'

[Laurence Horn]

At 11:51 AM -0700 5/2/07, Arnold M. Zwicky wrote:
>On May 2, 2007, at 11:41 AM, Doug Harris wrote:
>
>>... "Murdoch Has Jones for Dow, But Controlling Family Plans Veto
>>(E&P)"
>>
>>Jones, according to the website www.yaelf.com/slang.shtml, (under
>>'The Great Jones', refers to "an addiction to drugs."
>>Is there another meaning?
>
>yes.  in "have a jones for" it means 'hankering, desire, lust'.
>
>arnold
>
and "jones(ing) for" as well--not necessarily drugs.  There's the
famous "basketball jones" for one.  Even "hooked on", which clearly
began in drug contexts, has generalized to other objects, so why
wouldn't the more innocent "jones", especially since the latter
doesn't wear its etymology on its sleeve?  The first page of the 787
google hits for "have a jones for" allow for objects ranging from to
eletronica to romance to baked ziti to chocolate to [Bridget] Jones
herself; nary an illegal (as opposed to immoral or fattening) object
in sight.

LH

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