[OrthodoxPresbyterian]

Actually, I always thought that 'jerk' came from 'soda jerk'. But perhaps Presbys have a different take on that matter.

Actually, "lapsed Lutherans" in this case (my understanding of the etymology of the term "jerk" employed as an insult derives from my dad, who didn't much favor the term either). I suppose that it's possible that the insult derives instead from "soda jerk" -- except that I can't really see anything insulting about a "soda jerk" unless jerk is already assumed to be an insult of some sort.

Would the term "soda dispenser" be considered insulting, unless "dispenser" were already considered a form of insult?

(Shrugs). I probably shouldn't be overly adamant about the Etymology of Slang (in which it's entirely possible that we both are right, some Slang having multiple origins); Me, I'm not much bothered by many commonly-reviled "four letter words", but I don't favor the term "jerk" (which is considered "mild" by most). Go figure. ;-)

Naturally, I like to imagine the problem of blasphemous phrases originates in denominations that practice infant baptism and have a central denominational authority. But I could be biased...

Well, of course -- the problem almost certainly had to originate therein, seeing as we were around before y'all, and all that... (Parry, and riposte; you may remise in opposition, good suh -- grin)

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Interesting that this thread is so quiet. I thought it an interesting article... Oh, well -- perhaps wiser heads than mine are availing themselves of a nice afternoon nap...

[MarMema]

Interesting that this thread is so quiet.

Most of the Orthodox are probably still at the agape meal following the all-morning services we hold. :-) We attended our parish's Slavonic liturgy yesterday morning and slept in this morning.

[George W. Bush]

Well, of course -- the problem almost certainly had to originate therein, seeing as we were around before y'all, and all that... (Parry, and riposte; you may remise in opposition, good suh -- grin)

Darn. And you even have the nerve to be reasonable about my insulting remarks.

Johnson's article just doesn't quite have enough red meat in it. It's neither hot nor cold. I think he just did a poor job on this one.

[CCWoody]

Interesting that this thread is so quiet. I thought it an interesting article... Oh, well -- perhaps wiser heads than mine are availing themselves of a nice afternoon nap... ~ OP

Well, for me, I'm topping off a week long "vacation" with a weekend of relaxing, though not that nice afternoon nap. Still, about the only thing that really made sense to me was that whole bit about the Anglican church, what with me being born and raised from generations of Anglicans all the way back to the motherland herself.

As for my own personal experience, I left the Episcopal church after I actually met the Lord and figured out that the crap I was being fed was just exactly that (sorry GWB, I couldn't find any nicer word to describe my disgust at what passed for doctrine).

The interesting thing here is that my uttter disguist for the Open Theism being taught led me to embrace with all that I had God's absolute Omnisicence. It was this foundational belief, along with firmly grasping that God's will really is done which led me to believe what I would later learn was called 5-point Calvinism.

So, would I trade my 16 years as an Anglican? Absolutely not. I might not have ever embraced the fundamentals and I might be an Arminian today (spits for effect)!

Woody.

[Romulus]

One can make a pretty good case that "jerk" is short for "jerkwater", whose usage in the sense of trifling and bumptious dates to the late 19th century. In the OED, the oldest citation of "jerk" in the onanistic sense is in Eric Partridge, 1937.

"Jerkwater" originally referred to the method of filling steam railway engines from lever-operated cisterns in remote rural areas.

Considering the relative antiquity of "jerk" in the sense of a bumptious, inept person, I think it's highly unlikely that the usage derives from auto-erotic insinuations: in Tender Is the Night, Scott Fitzgerald (setting a scene in about 1920) has one of his characters criticising the the word "bull" (as in "bullshit") as vulgar.