Syn: slipshod, ramshackle, flimsy.
[1913 Webster]
2. Developed in an unsystematic or inexpert manner; built haphazardly; -- used of objects, organizations, plans, etc. [PJC]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
jerry-built — 1869, in which jerry has a sense of bad, defective, probably a pejorative use of the male nickname Jerry (a popular form of Jeremy; Cf. Jerry sneak, mid 19c., sneaking fellow, a hen pecked husband [OED]). Or from or influenced by nautical slang… … Etymology dictionary
jerry-built — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ badly or hastily built. DERIVATIVES jerry builder noun. ORIGIN sometimes said to be from the name of a firm of builders in Liverpool, or to allude to the walls of Jericho, which fell down at the sound of Joshua s trumpets (Book of… … English terms dictionary
jerry-built — [jer′ē bilt΄] adj. [< JERRY (as an old generalized epithet, esp. of belittlement: cf. JACK), prob. reinforced by JURY2] built poorly, of cheap materials … English World dictionary
jerry-built — [adj] flimsy cheap, defective, insubstantial, jerry rigged, junky, makeshift, ramshackle, rickety, shoddy, slipshod, unsound, unsubstantial; concept 267 … New thesaurus
jerry-built — jerry ,built adjective built very quickly and with as little money as possible, and therefore not of good quality … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
jerry-built — [[t]ʤe̱ri bɪlt[/t]] ADJ GRADED (disapproval) If you describe houses or blocks of flats as jerry built, you are critical of the fact that they have been built very quickly and cheaply, without much care for safety or quality. Workers at the plant… … English dictionary
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… … Dictionary of American idioms
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… … Dictionary of American idioms
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 … Словарь американских идиом
jerry-built — mod. carelessly and awkwardly built. □ This is an old, jerry built house, but we love it. □ The lawyer’s case was jerry built, but the jury bought it anyway … Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions
