"... a local poacher who killed a gamekeeper in a fight and was transported for eight years... When he returned to England at the end of his sentence, he built the Image House... according to the old custom of "jerry-building" which permitted a man to claim land without purchase or lease, provided he could build some sort of a house in a single night and have the chimney smoking by sunrise."
Text from Witchcraft in England by Christina Hole (1947). Clearly the current Image House in Bunbury is not the same one that was "jerry-built," but I've posted this for the concept, which was new to me.
Image cropped for size from the original at Ludchurch.
How on earth do you build an operational chimney no less a house in one night?
ReplyDeleteOh, and welcome back our friend,
to our quest that never ends,
We're glad that you remain,
to edumacate and entertain.
xoxoxoBruce
I have heard of "jerry-rigging," which is probably the same thing as what some in the South call jury-rigging--NOT fixing a jury! It tends to mean something thrown together without doing it the standard or proper way. But I think I've only heard it used to mean doing it some less-than-optimal way, but one that does get you by.
ReplyDeleteFor instance, "We couldn't repair the tire, but we jury-rigged a wagon to carry the load on that side of the car."
AaronS, Merriam-Webster has a long page entitled "'Jerry-built' vs. 'Jury-rigged' vs. 'Jerry-rigged'" -
Deletehttps://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/jerry-built-vs-jury-rigged-vs-jerry-rigged-usage-history