“JAWBONE” IN THE ARMY

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 4862, 7 May 1918, Page 3

“JAWBONE” IN THE ARMY

ADDITION TO AMERICAN SLANG,

THE MEANING OF "WHICH “CREDIT.”

/ the army camps have added another word to the vocabulary of slang, “jawbone,” meaning credit. “Did von pay cash for the uniform, Bill?” " “No; it’s jawbone,” meaning that he bought it on credit. “Wo’s taking up a collection, to buy a- for the, .sergeant-/’ says a soldier, who is going through the camp with a subscription paper. “I haven’t got a sou,” says a private. “That’s all right;, it’s all jawbone,” says the other, meaning that credit Will be given l for the amount till pay-day. “Say, you can get jawbone nuttees down at So-and-so’s,” says another, meaning that a certain store is selling leather puttees to the soldiers on credit. • The word “jaw,” meaning to scold or talk offensively, has been in common use so long that it' is in the dictionary as a regular word’; but .at first it was pure slang. “She jawed so mucli I couldn t live with her,” testified a man. who was suing for a divorce. It is an expressive word; as all slang words are, amdi when a mail- speaks of’ a jawing woman your mind’s eye visualises her at once' her jaw wagging busilv as she scolds. “Slack jaw” is another vivid expression. ' “Don’t give me- anv more of your slack jaw,” Champ Clark exclaimed to a*-voluble opponent on /the floor of the House in a heated debate a few years ago. “Jawbone” has leaped * into instant popularity in the army cairyps/ where ... nearly everyone is in debt more or less for tobacco, clothing, and other things. It will probably soon get into every-day slang,, for it is mCw-and vivid'. ’' • , - - : v -