the jig is up

[Jonathan Lighter]

The "pseudo-racist origin" (or the "racist pseudo-origin") is that the
phrase began during  lynchings.  Once the hanging was underway, whites in
the area would smirk, "The jig is up!"

According to one or two of my undergraduate classmates at NYU in 1970-71.
I've encountered the story since then too.

JL
On Tue, Apr 12, 2011 at 5:11 PM, victor steinbok <aardvark66 at gmail.com>wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       victor steinbok <aardvark66 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: the jig is up
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Pseudo-racist? In mid-1700s? You don't say!
>
> Well, actually, I missed that discussion. But I did find it.
>
> it's from Sep 18, 2007 and Arnold Zwicky, in response, included the
> link to the CBC page I brought up earlier.
>
> Jon had added, at the time:
>
> > Jig" was often spelled "gig" in the 17th C.
> >
> > So...well...just an observation.
>
> This is true, although it was quite a jumble with j/i/g in front and
> single or double -g at the end. But would it be fair to say that they
> were all /pronounced/ the same way, unlike "gig" today? (seems to be
> the point of Arnold's remark within that thread as well, and Charlie's
> point above)
>
> Now, for the "pseudo-racist" origins, I just don't see it. "Jig" as
> performance and dance goes deep into the 18th century and likely
> earlier--OED has the dance to 1560. The only records in dictionaries
> to racially-charged "jig" and "jigaboo" are all from the 20th century.
> So there may be avoidance /now/ because of assumed (but incorrect)
> association, but I found no "pseudo-racist" origins.
>
> Of course, if there is some 16th-18th century material that I missed,
> I'll be glad to be educated on the subject. Yeah, maybe there is some
> ESA like "niggardly", but I have not seen or heard it--perhaps I'm
> just unaware.
>
> VS-)
>
> On Tue, Apr 12, 2011 at 4:01 PM, Jonathan Lighter
> <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > We've discussed the pseudo-racist origin of the "the jig is up."
> >
> > By sheer coincidence, two young whippersnapper professionals in their
> '40s
> > were incredulous on Saturday when the phrase arose and I stupidly
> > explained that the "usual" version was "The jig is up."
> >
> > They insisted that "gig" was correct, because (get ready) "What's 'jig'
> > mean? A jigsaw? What sense does that make?" My explanation that a "jig"
> was
> > a kind of dance was greeted with suspicion. "Nobody says, 'The  dance is
> > up.' They say 'The dance is over.'"
> >
> > Kids today.
> >
> >  JL
>
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