Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (US Und.) to break into, using a small crowbar.

1877		New Bloomfield Times (PA) 10 Apr. 8/1: A window in the rear of Charles Brook’s residence [...] was jimmied open, and one of the burglars [...] proceeded up stairs.
1893		J. Hawthorne Confessions of Convict 172: The bolts could be ‘jimmied’ without leaving a mark.
1905		N.Y. Eve. Post 22 Dec. 3: The thieves jimmied the front door .
1907		Nottingham Eve. Post 1 Mar. 5/5: Both a window and a door had been freshly ‘jimmied’.
1914		J. McCree ‘Types’ Variety Stage Eng. Plays 🌐 I have jimmied through a window / With the magic of a hindo.
1921		Eve. Teleg. (Dundee) 19 May 3/5: Murphy, with a screwdriver in his teeth, climbed to the second storey floor and ‘jimmied’ the window.
1929		S. Ornitz Haunch Paunch and Jowl 79: The gang listens intently to the wisdom learned in the reform school [...] how to ‘jimmy’ doors, drawers and windows.
1938		R. Chandler ‘Red Wind’ in Red Wind (1946) 44: I went back up to Apartment 31, jimmied the door.
1948		(con. 1944) N. Mailer Naked and Dead 618: Some kids are trying to jimmy the hub plate off his car.
1952		(con. 1920s) ‘Harry Grey’ Hoods (1953) 145: If we got to jimmy the joint, Goo-Goo’s got the best jimmy in the trade.
1969		‘Iceberg Slim’ Pimp 87: The wind wing [...] gaped open. It had been jimmied.
1977		A. Brooke Last Toke 103: Richie produced a small knife from his pants pocket [...] He kneeled, began to jimmy the lock.
1989		C. Hiaasen Skin Tight 81: Chemo got stuck in the very first window he ever jimmied.
1997		G. Sikes 8 Ball Chicks (1998) 22: She specially liked stealing cars and could jimmy an ignition and start one without a key in under a minute.
2000		B. Wiprud Sleep with the Fishes 27: The Reverend had jimmied the glove box.
2012		R. Milward Kimberly’s Capital Punishment (2023) 2238: [I] jimmy the garage lock.
2015		‘Chelsea G. Summers’ in New Republic 25 June 🌐 Together, the panty enterprise and the presence of new guards jimmy the lock on Caged Heat and its ’70s exploitation bailiwick.

2. to gain access to something whether mental or physical, but without violence, to ‘wriggle’ into or out of something.

1908		N.Y. Eve. Journal 24 Sept. in Fleming Unforgettable Season (1981) 249: A new magnate has ‘Jimmied’ his way into the game.
1913		Day Book (Chicago) 30 Aug. 9/2: An ingenious explanation intended to show that the Chicago congressman was not jimmying money out of N.A.M.
1921		H.C. Witwer Leather Pushers 40: I ain’t tryin’ to jimmy into your most intimate affairs.
1955		B. Schulberg On the Waterfront (1964) 95: The American talent for jimmying through any law that tries to violate the pleasure principle.

3. (US Und.) to injure, wound or spoil.

1903		N.Y. Tribune 10 May 17/1: The greater professional beggar has said farewell to New York [...] ‘York is jimmied.’ Freely translated, this signifies that begging is no longer a legitimate metropolirtan occupation.
1919		in Bookman Apr. 209: Estimate the chance of X jimmying a bull and getting settled for a five in consequence [HDAS].
1928		J. Callahan Man’s Grim Justice 64: I’m going to jimmy [cripple] myself.
1950		K. Vonnegut ‘Thanasphere’ in Bagombo Snuff Box (1999) 20: The General’s eyes narrowed. ‘So he’s trying to jimmy the project, is he? We’ll see, by God, we’ll see.’.
1958		Murtagh & Harris Cast the First Stone 33: Pipe down before you jimmy up the works.

4. (US) to copulate.

1961

R. Gover One Hundred Dollar Misunderstanding 71: Hey Jimmy the Burgler, you figure on jimmy-in somethin wiff that?

5. (US) to steal from, to extract from someone, to cajole or cheat.

1927		E. Hemingway letter 22 July in Baker Sel. Letters (1981) 253: I let you in for a lot more expense than you figured on and then Jimmyed you out of more.
1939		J. Weidman What’s In It For Me? 224: The diamond bracelets she’d jimmied out of me.

6. to get in without paying.

1977		D. Powis Signs of Crime 189: Jimmying (a) Obtaining entry into cinemas, theatres, dog tracks and enclosures at race meetings by subterfuge and without paying.
1989		J. Morton Lowspeak.