jigger!, excl. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

jigger! excl.

also gigger (me)! jigger me tight! jiggers!

[? a euph. for Jesus! excl., although usu. used in v. forms; ? semi-euph. for bugger v.¹]

1. used as a vaguely indecent oath, e.g. as by jiggers! jigger it! be jiggering well careful! etc.

1821		J. Burrowes Life in St George’s Fields 17: Why gigger me if my master didn’t give me an order for common Garden last week.
1841		‘The Charity Boy’ Dublin Comic Songster 165: To cut avay ’tis then the time, / Oh, jigger me tight! it is so prime.
c.1845		Dick and Sal 22: Jigger! I would buy har a ribbin.
1866		Broad Arrow Jack 22: Oh, blow your weakness! dash your helplessness, and jigger your happetite!
1899		A. Binstead Gal’s Gossip 27: I fancy I can hear you reply ‘Oh, jigger it!’ as a sweet girl friend of mine, who is too lady-like to swear [...] remarked.
1932		(con. 1910s) J.T. Farrell Young Lonigan in Studs Lonigan (1936) 70: ‘Jiggers!’ yelled Johnny O’Brien.
1933		Hecht & Fowler Great Magoo 61: Jiggers, my manager!

2. (US, also jigaroo! jigeroo!) a warning that someone hostile, e.g. the police, a teacher, one’s parents, is coming.

1911		L. Pound ‘A Second Word-List From Nebraska’ in DN III:vii 545: jigger, v. Look out; be careful. ‘Jigger, kids, the teacher’s coming.’.
1912		A. Berkman Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist (1926) 179: Now, jigaroo, screw’s comin’.
1927		‘Jargon of the Und.’ in DN V 452: Jigeroo, A warning that the police are coming.
1927		H. Yenne ‘Prison Lingo’ in AS II:6 280: An inmate will say in warning to another, ‘Jigger, a screw,’ meaning ‘Be careful. A guard is coming’.
1927		F.M. Thrasher Gang 151: Five of my gang would go on a car-robbing expedition at once. Two would watch to give ‘jiggers’ on either side of the track, while the other three of us would break the seal on the car.
1932		L.W. Merryweather ‘Argot of an Orphans’ Home’ in AS VII:6 403: Jiggers, the stick’s coming.
1938		W. Pegler in Nevada State Journal (Reno) 21 Dec. 6/3: The almanac also tells us [...] that the word jiggers is a cry of alarm denoting the approach of the cops.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn) 132: jiggers A warning; warning of the approach of a policeman.
1950		Goldin et al. DAUL 110/2: Jigger. [...] an exclamation of warning. [...] Jiggers! A danger signal to stop what one is doing or make a getaway.
1962		P. Crump Burn, Killer, Burn! 104: Jiggers! [...] Somebody has come in.

give jiggers (v.) (also give jiggs)

(US) to be a lookout, to keep a lookout.

1914		G. Herriman Dingbat Family 28 Mar. [synd. cartoon strip] Mr Melbourne Sweezy and Mr James Juniper can be noticed in the immediate background giving the undaunted chicken destroyer ‘jiggers’.
1930		C.R. Shaw Jack-Roller 16: I and two other guys waited close to the alley [...] We were going to give ‘jiggers’.
1932		(con. 1910s) J.T. Farrell Young Lonigan in Studs Lonigan (1936) 130: Benny Taite suddenly gave jiggers.
1961		H.C. Woodbridge ‘Miscellany’ in AS XXXVI:3 228: jiggs, jiggers, give, v. phr. To give a warning.
1964		J. Blake letter 22 June in Joint (1972) 228: Hey lefty, I’ll give ya jiggers. I’ll be lookout, okay, boy?

by jiggers! (also by jickers! by jiggurs! by jigs! by ziggity!)

(orig. US) a mild oath, euph. for by Jesus!

1880		Leeds Times 3 Apr. n.p.: ‘Jolly Tosh’ [...] had finished his famous song, ‘Oh, by Jiggers! we are Niggars!’.
1898		Binstead & Wells A Pink ’Un and a Pelican 209: By jig’s, here he is again!
1903		A. Binstead Pitcher in Paradise 29: By jigs, never knew time slip by so quickly.
1912		A.G. Field Watch Yourself Go By 351: By jiggurs, ef he ain’t wearin’ Mary’s [...] green silk stockin’s.
1926		J.F. Dobie Rainbow in Morning 92: By jiggers.
c.1929		Z.N. Hurston Bone of Contention (1995) 978: By ziggity, dat ol’ mule been dead three years an’ still kickin’.
1930		L. Sage Last Rustler 31: But by jickers, I reckon I could try.