Slim jim

[Joel Shaver]

Yes, joking, and using the word 'conclusive' semi-facetiously.  I just
try to include some sort of evidence to prove (mostly to myself) that my
intuition isn't anomalous.

Joel

Wilson Gray wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Slim jim
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> My word, Joel! Why wouldn't we believe you? You''re just joking, when
> you say that, right?
>
> -Wilson
>
> On 5/18/07, Joel Shaver <vole at netw.com> wrote:
>
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster:       Joel Shaver <vole at NETW.COM>
>> Subject:      Slim jim
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> The recent discussion of 'pry' and 'prise' on Lynne Murphy's (addictive)
>> blog ...
>>
>> (http://separatedbyacommonlanguage.blogspot.com/2007/05/strikes-and-prying-in-grauniad.html)
>>
>> ... has made me wonder about the 'slim jim,' a common lock-picking tool
>> for car doors (at least in my usage).  OED has 'slim jim' in the sense
>> 'something long and thin or narrow' from 1916, but doesn't mention the
>> lock-picking tool (or the beef stick, but I can forgive that), which I
>> would think should be a fairly established term.  I wonder if the
>> development of 'slim jim' has been affected by 'Jimmy' (v.) meaning to
>> 'force open a door' (attested from 1893 in OED).
>>
>> Here's the Wikipedia on slim jim (lock pick), as *conclusive proof* if
>> you don't believe me.
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slim_Jim_(lock_pick)
>>
>> Joel Shaver
>> University of Glasgow
>>
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>
>
> --
> All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
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> -----
>                                               -Sam'l Clemens
> ------
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>
>                                            Rumanian proverb
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