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558 entries found
Jazz Age 

1921; see jazz (n.); popularized 1922 in writings of F. Scott Fitzgerald; usually regarded as the years between the end of World War I (1918) and the Stock Market crash of 1929.

We are living in a jazz age of super-accentuated rhythm in all things; in a rhythm that (to "jazz" a word) is super-normal, a rhythm which is the back-flare from the rhythm of a super war. ["Jacobs' Band Monthly," Jan. 1921]
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jazzbo (n.)
1917, "low, vulgar jazz," from jazz (n.). Later in 20c. it was in use as a derogatory term for persons, especially blacks.
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jazzed (adj.)
"made more lively or colorful," 1919, past-participle adjective from jazz (v.).
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Jazzercise (n.)

1977, originally a proprietary name, from jazz (n.) + ending from exercise (n.).

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jazzetry (n.)
"poetry reading accompanied by jazz music," 1959, from jazz (n.) + poetry.
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jazzman (n.)
1917, from jazz (n.) + man (n.).
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jazzy (adj.)
"resembling jazz music, spirited, lively, exciting," 1918, from jazz (n.) + -y (2). Related: Jazzily; jazziness.
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je ne sais quoi (n.)

"an inexpressible something," French, literally "I do not know what."

[T]hey are troubled with the je-ne-scay-quoy, that faign themselves sick out of niceness but know not where their own grief lies, or what ayls them. [Thomas Blount, "Glossographia," 1656]
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jealous (adj.)

c. 1200, gelus, later jelus, "possessive and suspicious," originally in the context of sexuality or romance (in any context from late 14c.), from Old French jalos/gelos "keen, zealous; avaricious; jealous" (12c., Modern French jaloux), from Late Latin zelosus, from zelus "zeal," from Greek zēlos, which sometimes meant "jealousy," but more often was used in a good sense ("emulation, rivalry, zeal"), from PIE root *ya- "to seek, request, desire" (see zeal). In biblical language (early 13c.) "tolerating no unfaithfulness." Also in Middle English sometimes in the more positive sense, "fond, amorous, ardent" (c. 1300) and in the senses that now go with zealous, which is a later borrowing of the same word, from Latin.

Most of the words for 'envy' ... had from the outset a hostile force, based on 'look at' (with malice), 'not love,' etc. Conversely, most of those which became distinctive terms for 'jealousy' were originally used also in a good sense, 'zeal, emulation.' [Buck, pp.1138-9]

Among the ways to express "jealous" in other tongues are Swedish svartsjuka, literally "black-sick," from phrase bara svarta strumpor "wear black stockings," also "be jealous." Danish skinsyg "jealous," literally "skin-sick," is from skind "hide, skin" said to be explained by Swedish dialectal expression fa skinn "receive a refusal in courtship."

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jealously (adv.)
late 14c., "in a zealous manner;" 1718, "in a suspicious and possessive manner," from jealous + -ly (2).
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