Register Log In Wordsmith Talk Forums General Topics Q&A about words jakes (a privy) from Ajax? Search Advanced Forum Search Forums Calendar Active Threads

Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread jakes (a privy) from Ajax? #189152 02/08/2010 8:43 PM Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass tsuwm Carpal Tunnel tsuwm Carpal Tunnel Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass today, the wwftd master wrote: the worthless word for the day is: jakes [origin uncertain, perhaps from F. Jacques] chiefly British : a privy "He kicked open the crazy door of the jakes." - James Joyce, Ulysses (1922) "In particular he feared dying in some undignified way, on the jakes or with his face in the porridge." - Michael Chabon, The Final Solution (2004) -tsuwm to which a faithful reader replied: Hi - about a half century ago I had a classical lit professor who attributed the term Jakes to stories about Ajax in the Iliad or in one of Shakespeare's plays (Troilus and Cressida?). Ajax was portrayed as real dirtbag and his name became identified with toilets - hence Ajax cleanser and the Brit term Jakes. I have no proof and am passing this along only because I also have no life :-) Gabe. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: jakes (a privy) from Ajax? tsuwm #189153 02/08/2010 9:40 PM Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 3,290 R'lyeh zmjezhd Carpal Tunnel zmjezhd Carpal Tunnel Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 3,290 R'lyeh I always assumed it was from the French given name Jacques; cf. calling a toilet the john. What is the proof that Ajax was a real 'dirtbag'? (OTOH, I have a book by Sir John Harington called A New Discourse of a Stale Subject, Called the Metamorphosis of Ajax; it was originally published in the 16th century.) Ceci n'est pas un seing. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: jakes (a privy) from Ajax? zmjezhd #189154 02/08/2010 9:56 PM Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass tsuwm Carpal Tunnel tsuwm Carpal Tunnel Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass It seems that Language Log also made the connection? link Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: aux chiottes tsuwm #189155 02/08/2010 10:01 PM Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 3,290 R'lyeh zmjezhd Carpal Tunnel zmjezhd Carpal Tunnel Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 3,290 R'lyeh It seems that Language Log also made the connection? But, a pun is not the same thing as an etymology. Ceci n'est pas un seing. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: aux chiottes zmjezhd #189160 02/09/2010 3:42 PM Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,295 Netherlands, the Hague BranShea Carpal Tunnel BranShea Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,295 Netherlands, the Hague Our long time leading Premier League soccer/football club is called Ajax. Yet they play no dirtier than any other. For the sake of language I must add that we have the interjection of aversion: "jakkes" . Could not trace its origin. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Website Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Website Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Website Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Website Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Website Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary

Default Style BlackNTan Drab eBay GooG v2 infopop new dark new light original dark original stock rounded corners Slate snow sunny dropshadow theblues Touch Of Grey UBB.threads UBB.threads - Dark UBB.threads - Light UBBCentral UBBCentral - Crimson UBBCentral - Lime UBBCentral - Marshmallow UBBCentral - Mocha UBBCentral - Zen UBBT77 UBBT77 - Dark ubbthreads ubbthreads-dark Forum Rules · Mark All Read Contact Us · Forum Help · Wordsmith Talk