Jack, 1) diminutive of John, Christian name of Rugby, Falstaff and Cade: Wiv. I, 4, 61. II, 3, 1. II, 3, 1 II, 3, 1 13 etc. Wiv. II, 2, 144. H4A I, 2, 111. H4A I, 2, 111 II, 2, 73. II, 4, 522. III, 3, 187 etc. H6B IV, 2, 5. H6B IV, 2, 5 IV, 4, 13 etc. Evidently a favourite name among the peasantry; hence the proverbial phrases: “J. hath not Jill,” LLL V, 2, 885. “J. shall have Jill,” Mids. III, 2, 461. “be the --s fair within, the jills fair without,” Shr. IV, 1, 51 ("a play upon the words, which signify two drinking measures as well as men and maid-servants." Steevens). And the beginning of a song: “J., boy, ho, boy,” Shr. IV, 1, 43.
2) a term of contempt for saucy and paltry, or silly fellows: “I vill kill de J. priest,” Wiv. I, 4, 123. II, 3, 32 (Dr. Caius' speech). “boys, apes, braggarts, --s, milksops,” Ado V, 1, 91. “the prince is a J., a sneak-cup,” H4A III, 3, 99. H4A III, 3, 99 “if I be not J. Falstaff, then am I a J.” V, 4, 143. “since every J. became a gentleman, there's many a gentle person made a J.” R3 I, 3, 72. “twenty such --s,” Rom. II, 4, 160. “thou art as hot a J. in thy mood as any in Italy,” Rom. III, 1, 12. “hang him, J.” IV, 5, 149. “take hence this J. and whip him,” Ant. III, 13, 93. “this J. of Caesar's,” Ant. III, 13, 93 “bragging --s,” Merch. III, 4, 77. “rascal fiddler and twangling J.” Shr. II, 159. “a swearing J.” Shr. II, 159 “no proud J. like Falstaff,” H4A II, 4, 12. “long I will not be J. out of office,” H6A I, 1, 175. “insinuating --s,” R3 I, 3, 53. “a J. guardant cannot office me from my son,” Cor. V, 2, 67. “your fairy has done little better than played the J. with us,” Tp. IV, 198, alluding perhaps to the Jack o'lantern or ignis fatuus; but cf. “do you play the flouting J.?” Ado I, 1, 186.
3) a figure striking the bell in old clocks: “I stand fooling here, his J. o'the clock,” R2 V, 5, 60. “like a J thou keepest the stroke betwixt thy begging and my meditation,” R3 IV, 2, 117. “cap and knee slaves, vapours, and minute --s,” Tim. III, 6, 107 (marking every minute, changing with every minute?).
4) a key of a virginal: “I envy those --s that nimble leap to kiss the tender inward of thy hand,” Sonn. 128, 5. Sonn. 128, 5
5) a bowl aimed at in the game of bowling: “when I kissed the j., upon an up-cast to be hit away,” Cymb. II, 1, 2.
6) a drinking measure (half a pint): Shr. IV, 1, 51 (quibbling; see sub 1).
Shakespeare Lexicon. Alexander Schmidt. Berlin. Georg Reimer. 1902.
This text was converted to electronic form by professional data entry and has been proofread to a high level of accuracy.
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