Jin Vin, i.e. Jenkin Vincent, one of Ramsay’s apprentices, in love with Margaret Ramsay.—Sir W. Scott, Fortunes of Nigel (time, James I.).
Jin´gle (Alfred), a strolling actor, who, by his powers of amusing and sharp-wittedness, imposes for a time on the members of the Pickwick Club, and is admitted to their intimacy; but being found to be an impostor, he is dropped by them. The generosity of Mr. Pickwick in rescuing Jingle from the Fleet, reclaims him, and he quits England. Alfred Jingle talks most rapidly and flippantly, but not without much native shrewdness; and he knows a “hawk from a handsaw.”—C. Dickens, The Pickwick Papers (1836).
Jingo, a corruption of Jainko, the Basque Supreme Being. “By Jingo!” or “By the living Jingo!” is an appeal to deity. Edward I. had Basque mountaineers conveyed to England to take part in his Welsh wars, and the Plantagenets held the Basque provinces in possession. This Basque oath is a land-mark of these facts.
Jingoes (The), the anti-Russians in the war between Russia and Turkey; hence the English war party. The term arose (1878) from a popular music-hall song, beginning thus:
We don’t want to fight; but, by Jingo, if we do,
We’ve got the ships, we’ve got the men, we’ve got the money, too.
(This song has also furnished the words jingoism (bragging war spirit, Bobadilism) and the adjective jingo).
Jiniwin (Mrs.), a widow, the mother of Mrs. Quilp. A shrewd, ill-tempered old woman, who lived with her son-in-law in Tower Street.—C. Dickens, The Old Curiosity Shop (1840).
Jinker (Lieutenant Jamie), horse-dealer at Doune.—Sir W. Scott, Waverley (time, George II.).
Jinn, plu. of Jinnee, a sort of fairy in Arabian mythology, the offspring of fire. The jinn propagate their species like human beings, and are governed by kings called suleymans. Their chief abode is the mountain Kâf, and they appear to men under the forms of serpents, dogs, cats, etc., which become invisible at pleasure. Evil jinn are hideously ugly, but good jinn are exquisitely beautiful.