Where does “crackerjack” come from?
crackerjack (English) comes from English Jack, from Middle English jakke, from Anglo-Norman jacke, from Middle French jaque, from Middle French jacques, from French jacques, from Latin Iacobus, from Ancient Greek Ἰάκωβος — heel of the foot; heel.
crackerjack (English): Exceptionally fine or excellent; top-notch; high...
Definitions
- Exceptionally fine or excellent; top-notch; high...
Ancestry of “crackerjack”, step by step
crackerjack traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English Jack
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Jack | A placeholder or conventional name for any man,... |
| 2 | Middle English | jakke | A padded coat, especially as light armour |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | jacke | — |
| 4 | Middle French | jaque | — |
| 5 | Middle French | jacques | — |
| 6 | French | jacques | plural of jacque; a stupid person; a jemmy or... |
| 7 | Latin | Iacobus | Jacob; James; Saint James |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | Ἰάκωβος | — |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | Ἰακώβ | Jacob |
| 10 | Hebrew | יַעֲקֹב | Jacob |
| 11 | Hebrew | עָקֵב | heel of the foot; heel |
via English crack
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | crack | To form cracks; To break apart under pressure; To... |
| 2 | Middle English | crak | loud conversation, bragging talk |
| 3 | Old Norse | kráka | crow |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *krakǭ | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | krakōną | to crack; crackle; shriek |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵerh₂- | to grow old, to mature |
via English Cracker Jack
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Cracker Jack | One kernel of the Cracker Jack snack; A quantity... |