As I’ve said before, I’m a big fan of the OED (Oxford English Dictionary) and the corresponding twitter account OEDonline, which I recommend everyone follow for their tremendous word of the day feature.
Today turned out to be better than most, as it justified all the hours I put into Scooby Doo cartoons as a kid.
Wonderful rare word alert: jinkle, v.: to move with sudden turns or swervings. Our earliest recorded example is from 1893.
— The OED (@OEDonline) July 13, 2012
Of course, as any good Scooby Doo fan knows, Velma (the brains of the bunch) often exclaims “jinkies” when surprised. I had to investigate.
@OEDonline So is Velma’s (of Scooby Doo fame) saying “jinkies” in surprise a slang derivative?
— Mike Carlucci (@mikecarlucci) July 13, 2012
@mikecarlucci They’re not directly related, but may share the same etymon. JINKLE is a frequentative of JINK (verb: to move sharply) …
— The OED (@OEDonline) July 13, 2012
…The interjection JINKIES may orig. be a diminutive of JINK (noun: a sharp movement). JINK n. corresponds to JINK v. – Phew!
— The OED (@OEDonline) July 13, 2012
Once again: watching cartoons will eventually pay off. Take this as a vaulable lesson, kids.