jerry-built
adjective

- built cheaply and unsubstantially

- carelessly or hastily put together

Merriam-Webster

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PHRASE ORIGIN

The phrase “Jerry-built" first appeared around 1856 in Liverpool, England, derived most likely from the male nickname Jerry (a popular form of Jeremy), and used pejoratively.

Possibly influenced by nautical slang "jury" (meaning "temporary"), which came to be used for makeshift and inferior objects.

Jerry was used from the 18th century to describe something that was bad or defective, as seen in Samuel Foote's 1764 comedy "The Mayor of Garret" with a character called "Jerry Sneak"

Jerry-built referred to poor houses made of the cheapest materials by speculative builders with little experience. These structures often had no foundations and sewer pipes that led nowhere.

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BROKEN PROMISES

The word "jerry-built" is not only about buildings; it's about broken promises. A poorly constructed house or a flimsy piece of furniture is more than a physical object that fails. It’s a symbol of a creator prioritizing cheap materials and speed over genuine craftsmanship. The builder or manufacturer knew it was subpar, and the buyer’s trust was betrayed. The disappointment we feel when a new cabinet falls apart isn’t just about the money we spent—it's the feeling of a promise being broken.

In a modern sense, the idea of "jerry-built" also applies to more than just physical items. It's a mindset. Think of a rushed software update that introduces more bugs than it fixes, or a quick-fix solution to a complex social problem. These are all examples of a "jerry-built" approach, where the desire for a fast and easy solution overrides the need for lasting quality. This widespread lack of care erodes our faith in products, services, and even institutions.

When something is jerry-built, it doesn’t just fall apart—it chips away at our trust. In the end, we don’t just want things that last; we long for the reliability and honesty that true craftsmanship stands for. Every shortcut taken leaves a mark, reminding us how much we value work—and promises—that are built to last.

Helga & Paul Smith

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SYNONYMS

ad hoc, artless, assembled hastily, badly built, barely held together, bubblegum and duct tape, built like a house of cards, built on sand, cobbled together, concocted, crummy, cut and paste, dodgy job, duct-tape solution, flimsy construction, gimcrack, half-baked, hastily assembled (constructed), held together with string, hodgepodge, house of cards (of straw), improvised, JERRY-BUILT, jerry-rigged, jury-rigged, made on the cheap, make-do, make-do-and-mend, makeshift, makeshifty, nailed together, patch job, put together with spit and string, quick and dirty, rough-and-ready, rube goldberg setup, slapdash, slapped together, slipshod, substandard, third-rate, thrown together, tin-can operation, toothpick and glue

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SMUGGLE
 OWAD into a conversation today, say something like:

“The irony is that German speakers would likely assume JERRY-BUILT means high-quality construction, when it actually means the exact opposite!”

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P L E A S E   S U P P O R T   O W A D

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Paul, Helga, & Jenny Smith

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