On Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:32:30 -0400, Tom Austin <taustin> wrote:

>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.
>

So I reasoned, too.

>> 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 ;-)
>

You take your life in your hands, methinks ;)
-- 

Regards
     Stephen

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