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jimjams: msg#00007

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Subject: jimjams

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The Word of the Day for August 8 is:

jimjams \JIM-jamz\ noun plural
: jitters

Example sentence:
"I love cappuccinos, but the caffeine gives me the
jimjams," said Paula.

Did you know?
When "jimjams" entered English in the mid-19th century, it
probably referred to a specific kind of jitters -- the "delirium
tremens," a violent delirium caused by excessive
drinking. "Jimjams" is not particularly common today, but when
it is used in current American English it means
simply "jitters." Etymologists aren't sure about the origin of
the term. Some speculate that it came about as an alteration
of "delirium tremens." Others, though uncertain of the origin
of "jim" and "jam," notice that the word follows a pattern of
similar words in which one sound is repeated or altered
slightly. Interestingly, other words for "jitters" were formed
in the same repetitive way -- "whim-whams" and "heebie-jeebies"
are examples.







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