Stephen wrote:
> Tom Austin <taustin> wrote:
> 
>> I do remember way back in high school physics that we discussed the term
>> jerry-rig.  Our teacher reasoned that 'jerry' was a racial slur and
>> shouldn't be used.  So he suggested that 'billy-rig' was a better term -
>> referring to West Virginia hill billys.  Since we were in Virginia, it
>> was a better term than 'jerry-rig'
> 
> I think that your teacher may have been confusing jerry-rigged with jerry-built
> which is a slur against a certain English Jerry. Jerry-rigged is from WW2 and
> applied to Allied equipment repaired using German parts.

yes, you are right - I was referring to what he reasoned.


> To be honest, I have heard one phrase used by American oilmen that was a racial

> 

I've heard of that term - and I've never used it myself.  Tho, if I see 
something really well built I may use it ;-)

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