This is more likely to have been the origin of the name. I was of the impression that cracker jack was originally used to describe a squaredaway us sailor, related to the early meaning of the term crack which you described in a recent article, and with jack tar for a sailor. The boy on the cracker jack box image is named sailor jack and his dog is called. Websters new world college dictionary, 4th edition. Cracker jack was introduced in 1893 and crunch n munch came out in the 1960s. The caramelcoated popcornandpeanuts confection was said to have been introduced at the worlds columbian exposition 1893. However, crackerjack was also a slang expression that meant something pleasing or excellent. Synonyms for crackerjack at with free online thesaurus, antonyms, and definitions. Home cards sport baseball cards modern 1990 1999 1992 cracker jack cracker jack donruss. Cracker jack is an american brand of snack food consisting of molassesflavored, caramelcoated popcorn and peanuts, well known for being packaged with a prize of trivial value inside.
The name jack means god is gracious and is of english origin. Henderson was a good mana crackerjack manwhen he had a better man over him. Got its name cracker jack from a salesman who exclaimed thats a crackerjack. Thousand arms charlotte cracker is the tenth son and 15th child of the charlotte family and the oldest triplet brother of custard and angel. From the trademark cracker jack popcorn snack featuring a blue sailorsuited man on the. Cracker jack and the colonies i learned from a friend, correctly, that crackerjacks got their name from the snack food that features a sailor on the box. Every box comes with a prize usually a little puzzle, temporary tattoo, or a valid georgia drivers license. Sailor jack and his dog bingo were invented in 1918, and trademarked in 1919. It was named by an enthusiastic sampler who remarked. Who invented cracker jack, the classic popcorn snack.
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time i comment. Crackerjack is a colloquialism meaning of excellent quality. The name went from john to johnkin to jankin to jackin to jack. My son is little and we either call him jack jack, cracker jack, or jumpin jack and valentines day photos they will work for now, until he gets a little older. Today, cracker is often used as a derogatory term for a white person for obvious reasons. Crackerjack definition and meaning collins english. Crackerjack dictionary definition crackerjack defined yourdictionary. Crackerjack definition, a person or thing that shows marked ability or excellence.
If youd use an actual dictionary, instead of stupidly searching glooble, youd learn more. Cracker can be an insulting name for a white person. The name was so common in the middle ages that jack became a generic term for a man. Why the monopoly player pieces thimble, top hat, etc. Legend has it that the name cracker jack came from a customer who, upon trying the treat, exclaimed, that really a cracker jack. Cracker definition and meaning collins english dictionary. Some of these doctors are buying their degrees or getting them in crackerjack boxes, plus all the insourced doctors with degrees from high schools all over the world. A nickname for john and james that has become a name in its own right. My only experience with either of these was cracker jack at a friends house once when i was a kid, but that was it. Prior to that, crack was a noun meaning something superior and a verb meaning to boast. A term in southeastern united states english to describe poor white trash, derived from the scottish meaning of the verb to crack, which, in this sense denotes ostentation. A tasty treat consisting of popcorn, peanuts and a caramel candy coating. Some believe rueckheim may have come up with the name himself and sold people on the story.
Submitted by gim from new jersey, usa on jan 21 2007. Crack shot definition of crack shot by the free dictionary. The cracker jack name and slogan, the more you eat the more you want. I have heard the story that the original pieces were actually struck from the models used for cracker jack prizes.
Definition of crackerjack in the idioms dictionary. It implies a person who lives in the utmost worst conditions and a person who no one really cares about. He is also one of the three sweet commanders of the big mom pirates and serves as totto lands minister of biscuit. The more you eat, the more you want, were registered. Its sold in oldschool boxes which come in a three pack and although the primary consumers are young children, its invariably located on the top shelf of the supermarket isle. It is possible the name you are searching has less than five occurrences per year.
Then it was appropriated for a brand of caramel corn. Where did the term cracker meaning white folks originate. It is sometimes used in a neutral context in reference to a native of florida, georgia or texas see florida cracker, georgia cracker or texas cracker. Originally a nickname for the given name john, it has now become a given name on its own. The iconic image on cracker jack boxes is of the boy decked out in a sailors outfit and his little dog. Its a favorite for sunday afternoon meals with the family. In 1896, the first lot of cracker jack was produced, the same year the products name and tagline. Definition of crackerjack from the collins english dictionary. Crackerjack synonyms, crackerjack antonyms merriam. So, i was looking for a snack last night at a convenience store and i decided to grab a bag of cracker jack. The sailor boy image acquired such meaning for the founder of cracker jack.
As a family name in britain, this is almost exclusively scottish. It has long been used as a way to refer to any man, especially from the working classes, as in the expression, a jack of all trades. Jack has been used for man since the mid1500s, as in jackofalltrades. In 1896 the name cracker jack was officially registered before then the snack had been called candied popcorn and peanuts and the familiarly sticky and sweet candy we know today was born. Jack is a name thats been used by parents who are considering baby names for boys. Crackerjack definition is a person or thing of marked excellence. A cracker is a thin, crisp biscuit which is often eaten with cheese. We call my brother jamie, jman, jack, jacksamillion, and action jackson. Cracker is an elongation of crack, an adjective meaning expert or superior that dates from the 18th century. The us term crackerjack has had a complicated history. Cracker, sometimes white cracker or cracka, is a racial epithet for white people, used especially for poor rural whites in the southern united states. The name jack is believed to be derived from jankin. Cracker meaning in the cambridge english dictionary. Based on his stellar resume, this guy seems like hed be a crackerjack of an employee.
Other theories suggest that jack was derived from the french name jacques, which is the french form for jacob or james. Us sailor, related to the early meaning of the term crack which you described in a. Social security administration public data, the first name crackerjack was not present. Back in the day, the term cracker jack could refer to anything of high quality, so its no wonder the name stuck. Another theory holds that the name jack is of celtic origin, meaning healthy.
Cracker jack is the character on the cracker jack box. What does it mean when someone calls you a cracker. Information and translations of cracker jack in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. Rob jacked frank up against the wall, and told him to shut up. The name jack is a boys name of english origin meaning god is gracious jack is a derivative of john that originated in medieval england.
Both of these are caramelcoated popcorn with peanuts. The most common is someone who is really bright and studious and knows the answers to all the questions, or does something really well. He is a real cracker jack when it comes to getting people to bid. Crackerjack definition of crackerjack by the free dictionary. The first cracker barrel opened on highway 109 in lebanon, tennessee in 1969. I was surprised to find that crackerjack is not australian in origin. Jack boys name meaning, origin, and popularity babycenter. Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples log in dictionary. When used as an adjective, the word crackerjack meansbest.
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