Ragged but Right, pt 4 (jam)

[Wilson Gray]

On Mon, Feb 20, 2012 at 5:06 PM, Jonathan Lighter
<wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Any chance "to jam" comes from obs. "jam," a 'party or social
> gathering,' as in Longfellow? Â See HDAS. The next step would be a
> musicians' party. The next step would be the verb.
>
> Problem: the "party" sense is attested mainly from New England.

Well, there's the evergreen Bob Marley hit from 1977, Jammin'/Jamming,
which is about partying.

And I don't mean to be breaking nasty on you or nothing, but
everything ain't attested.

--
-Wilson
-----
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die!"---a strange complaint
to come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
-Mark Twain

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