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To: buccaneer81
Firefighter Marco Molina, one of the jakes who responded to the fire, said sharing their meal “was the right thing to do.”

The author refers to the firefighters as "jakes" at least three times.

That is a very odd writing style.

What the hell does it mean?

2 posted on 11/29/2008 1:23:29 PM PST by humblegunner (Where my PIE at, fool?)
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To: humblegunner

Definition as per the Firefighter Terms website.

Jake - A term used to refer to a good firefighter. One story has the term originating from the corruption of the phrase “J-Key”. Years ago, the bed was the most expensive piece of furniture in a dwelling. Since firefighters were not as good at stopping fire as they are today, they would attempt to remove as many belongings as possible. The bed was too large to carry out in once piece and had to be disassembled using a bed key. The key was shaped like the letter J and was called a J-key


3 posted on 11/29/2008 1:27:50 PM PST by buccaneer81 (Bob Taft has soiled the family name for the next century.)
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To: humblegunner

I just looked up the word in some slang dictionaries I found online.

NONE of the definitions are complimentary.

I have a feeling this is a personal nickname uswed by the author which has a different meaning that usual.


4 posted on 11/29/2008 1:39:53 PM PST by hoagy62 (PAGF Charter member)
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To: humblegunner

The term “Jake”, when referenced to firefighting originated in Boston and came from the term “J” Key which came from the shape of the key carried by Fire Dept. members to open the Fire Boxes at street corners, When a fire was detected there was a cry for the “J-Key” which over time got shortened to Jake. Firefighters in Boston are still known as Jakes and the highest form of compliment is to be called a “ Good Jake”.

http://www.firehall.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-3046.html


6 posted on 11/29/2008 1:45:27 PM PST by B4Ranch (Forbidden subject on FR.com--> "How should people respond to a government of looters? ")
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To: humblegunner

Jake = firefighter, very common term used in Boston.


8 posted on 11/29/2008 2:16:46 PM PST by Sparky1776
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