[jaw drop] or [jaw drop a mile] {informal} Mouth fall wide open with surprise. — Used with a possessive. •/Tom’s jaw dropped a mile when he won the prize./

[jaws tight]{adj.}, {slang}, {informal} Angry; uptight; tense. •/Why are you getting your jaws so tight?/

[jazz up]{v.}, {slang} To brighten up; add more noise, movement, or color; make more lively or exciting. •/The party was very dull until Pete jazzed it up with his drums./

[Jehu] See: DRIVE LIKE JEHU.

[jerk] or [jerker] See: SODA JERK or SODA JERKER.

[jerry-built]{adj.} 1. Built poorly or carelessly of cheap materials; easily broken. •/That jerry-built cabin will blow apart in a strong wind./ 2. Done without careful preparation or thought; planned too quickly. •/When the regular television program didn’t come on, a jerry-built program was substituted at the last minute./

[Jesus boots] or [Jesus shoes] {n.}, {slang} Men’s sandals, particularly as worn by hippies and very casually dressed people. •/I dig your Jesus boots, man, they look cool./

[jig’s up] See: GAME’S UP.

[jim-dandy]{n.}, {slang} Something wonderful; something very good. •/Tommy’s new boat is really a jim-dandy! I wish I had one like it./

[jink] See: HIGH JINKS.

[job] See: DO A JOB ON, FALL DOWN ON THE JOB, LIE DOWN ON THE JOB, ON THE JOB.

[Joe Doakes]{n.} A name used informally for the average man. •/Let us say that Joe Doakes goes to the movies three times a year./ Compare: MAN IN THE STREET, SO-AND-SO.

[John Doe]{n.} A name used for an unknown person, especially in police and law business. •/The alarm went out for a John Doe who stole the diamonds from the store./

[John Hancock] or [John Henry] {n.}, {informal} Your signature; your name in writing. •/The man said, "Put your John Hancock on this paper."/ •/Joe felt proud when he put his John Henry on his very first driver’s license./

[Johnny-come-lately]{n.} Someone new in a place or group; newcomer; also: a new person who takes an active part in group affairs before tlie group has accepted him; upstart. •/Everybody was amazed when a Johnny-come-lately beat the old favorite in the race./ •/When it looked as though Mr. Brown had a good chance of winning, many Johnny-come-latelies began to support him./

[Johnny-on-the-spot]{adj. phr.} At the right place when needed; present and ready to help; very prompt; on time. •/A good waterboy is always Johnny-on-the-spot./ •/The firemen were Johnny-on-the-spot and put out the fire in the house soon after it started./ Compare: ON THE JOB.

[John Q. Public]{n.} A name used informally for the average citizen. •/It is John Q. Public’s duty to vote at each election./ Compare: JOE DOAKES.

[join forces] or [join hands] {v. phr.} To get together for the same aim; group together for a purpose; unite. •/The students and the graduates joined forces to raise money when the gym burned down./ •/The American soldiers joined hands with the British in the war against Germany./ Compare: THROW IN ONE’S LOT WITH.

[join hands] See: JOIN FORCES.

[joint] See: CLIP JOINT, PUT ONE’S NOSE OUT OF JOINT.

[joke] See: CRACK A JOKE.

[joking apart] See: JOKING ASIDE.

[joking aside] or [joking apart] {v. phr.}, {informal} No fooling; without exaggerating: seriously. •/Joking aside, although the conditions were not very comfortable, we had a wonderful time./ •/Joking apart, there must have been over a hundred people in the room./

[Jones] See: KEEP UP WITH THE JONESES.

[jot down]{v. phr.} To quickly commit to writing; make a quick note of something. •/Let me jot down your address so that I can send you a postcard from Europe./

[judgment seat]{n.} A place where you are judged; a place where justice and punishment are given out. •/Mrs. Smith is so bossy, she always acts as though she is in the judgment seat./

[jug-eared]{adj.} With ears that stick out like the handles of a jug. •/Tommy was a redheaded, freckle-faced, jug-eared boy./

[juice] See: STEW IN ONE’S OWN JUICE.

[juice dealer]{n.}, {slang} An underworld money lender who charges exorbitant fees to his clientele and frequently collects payment by physical force. •/No matter how broke you are, never go to a juice dealer./

[jump] See: GET THE JUMP ON or HAVE THE JUMP ON, GO JUMP IN THE LAKE, NOT KNOW WHICH WAY TO TURN or NOT KNOW WHICH WAY TO JUMP.

[jump all over] See: JUMP ON.

[jump at]{v.} To take or accept quickly and gladly. •/Johnny jumped at the invitation to go swimming with his brother./ Compare: TAKE UP(7).

[jump bail] or [skip bail] {v. phr.}, {informal} To run away and fail to come to trial, and so to give up a certain amount of money already given to a court of law to hold with the promise that you would come. •/The robber paid $2000 bail so he wouldn’t be put in jail before his trial, but he jumped bail and escaped to Mexico./ •/The man skipped bail because he was afraid the court might put him in jail for a long time./

[jump ball]{n.} The starting of play in basketball by tossing the ball into the air between two opposing players, each of whom jumps and tries to hit the ball to a member of his own team. •/Two players held onto the ball at the same time and the referee called a jump ball./

[jump down one’s throat]{v. phr.} To suddenly become very angry at someone; scold severely or angrily. •/The teacher jumped down Billy’s throat when Billy said he did not do his homework./

[jump from the frying pan into the fire] See: OUT OP THE FRYING PAN INTO THE FIRE.

[jumping-off place]{n. phr.} 1. A place so far away that it seems to be the end of the world. •/Columbus' sailors were afraid they would arrive at the jumping-off place if they sailed farther west./ •/So you visited Little America? That sounds like the jumping-off place!/ 2. The starting place of a long, hard trip or of something difficult or dangerous. •/The jumping-off place for the explorer’s trip through the jungle was a little village./

[jump on] or [jump all over] or [land on] or [land all over] {v. phr.}, {informal} To scold; criticize; blame. •/Tom’s boss jumped all over Tom because he made a careless mistake./ •/Janice landed on Robert for dressing carelessly for their date./ •/"I don’t know why Bill is always jumping on me; I just don’t understand him," said Bob./ Compare: FIND FAULT, GET ON, LAY OUT(7).

[jump on the bandwagon] or [get on the bandwagon] {v. phr.}, {informal} To join a popular cause or movement. •/At the last possible moment, the senator jumped on the winning candidate’s bandwagon./

[jump out of one’s skin]{v. phr.}, {informal} To be badly frightened; be very much surprised. •/The lightning struck so close to Bill that he almost jumped out of his skin./ Compare: HAIR STAND ON END.

[jump pass]{n.} A pass (as in football or basketball) made by a player while jumping. •/The Bruins scored when the quarterback tossed a jump pass to the left end./

[jump the gun] also [beat the gun] {v. phr.} 1. To start before the starter’s gun in a race. •/The runners were called back because one of them jumped the gun./ 2. {informal} To start before you should; start before anyone else. •/The new students were not supposed to come before noon, but one boy jumped the gun and came to school at eight in the morning./ •/The students planned to say happy birthday to the principal when the teacher raised her hand, but Sarah jumped the gun and said it when he came into the room./