[Ads-l] early "jazz"

[Ben Zimmer]

I shared this cite (syndicated in a different newspaper) in 2007:

https://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2007-June/071855.html

"Are you jerry to the old jazz?" appeared as a putative San Francisco-ism
in a slightly earlier syndicated article shared by Barry Popik back in 2003:

https://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2003-December/035347.html
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-fort-wayne-news-and-sentinel/194695283/
(Fort Wayne Sentinel, June 4, 1913)
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-idaho-statesman-are-you-jerry-to-th/124614186/
(Idaho Statesman, June 5, 1913)

Both articles are cited by Dave Wilton in his "jazz" article for
Wordorigins.org:

https://www.wordorigins.org/big-list-entries/jazz

--bgz

On Wed, Apr 1, 2026 at 9:40 AM Jonathan Lighter <
00001aad181a2549-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:

> As in "all that jazz"?
>
> 1913 _Milwaukee Journal_ (June 15) 4 [Newspapers.com]:  Take 'Frisco, the
> great slang factory of this broad land. Out there they ask you "Are you
> jerry to the old jazz?"' meaning thereby, "Are you hep to the --'" whatever
> you are supposed to be hep to. 'Jazz' stands for whatever you want it to.
>
>

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