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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Jizz (1 Viewer)

birdman

birdman

Орнитол&
Hope this is the right place in the Forum for this...

I've seen and heard the term "Jizz" frequently used in birding circles, and had it explained to me also, so I know how to use it in context.

But I've never known the derivation of the word.

Well this will be old hat to many of you I'm sure, but to the unedificated (like myself) out there, I thank Madge & Beaman's Birds of the Western Palearcitc, for the following explanation, which I paraphrase.

The term "Jizz" is derived from the old Air Force Aircraft Identification acronym "GIS" which in turn stood for General Impression and Shape.

Well it interested me.
 
I own a copy of Thomas Coward's book "Bird haunts and Nature Memories"
first published in 1922. He devotes a full chapter to "JIZZ" and
describes it thus - "if we are walking on the road and see, far ahead,
someone whom we recognise although we can neither distinguish features
nor particular clothes, we may be certain that we are not mistaken;
there is something in the walk, the general appearance which is
familiar; it is in fact, that individual's jizz.
Coward attributed the word to the west coast fishermen of Ireland who
when asked how, at a glance they could name various wild creatures
which dwelt on or visited their rocks or shores would reply "By their
"jizz.'"
I prefer this explanation, rather than something coined by GI Joe!
Tony Usher
http://www.10X50.com
 
Alastair is correct and it comes from WW2 where the armed forces were taught to recognise aircraft using general impression, size and shape to determine whether they were friendly or not.


Colin
 
Just hope the modern GI Joe gets his JIZZ right on British Tanks and Armoured Personnel Carriers. Personally I feel it is a pretty naff word for bird watchers.
 
I would tend to agree with Tony and the late Mr. Coward - some of whose works I have owned and learned much from - though I haven't come across that one.
If Coward attributed it to fishermen could it be related to "by the cut of his jib" which I think was a reference to identifying a distant ship/boat by the combination of sails and rigging? Apologies if I haven't got the spelling or phrase right.
It certainly predates any WW2 references if published in 1922!
Andy.
 
Yes, I heard the 'GISS' one before, but not the 1922 fishermen tale. Tony, your Coward book doesn't seem to give an actual etymology for the word, just an early reference. and that URL on the etymology just gives me an error response; wish I could read it. More research required ('jizz' ain't in my Webster's Collegiate).

Good birding,
 
Well, now Mr. Coward COINED the word, says the birdwatcher's dictionary... but Mr. Coward says he got it from some fishermen. Curioser and curiouser. I wish I were an entomologist.
 
Purely speculation, but I actually am an 'etymologist' of a sort, I have little or no interest in insects.

I think this a kanguru issue. The story is that when aborigines in Aus were asked the name of that big jumpy thing over there they said "Kanguru" which 'means' all sorts of things, but basically "No idea" or "What kind of a question is that? I don't know it's name. Only another big jumpy thing knows another big jumpy thing's name."

If you repeat the experiment today, at a higher level and ask an aborigine if they can explain the expression 'kanguru', (Does it mean 'I don't know' or "You'll have to ask the animal itself") then we discover that the word means absolutely nothing to them at all. Chances are, that like many 'primitive' people, the poor slaves and prisoners who were tortured and incarcerated to provide these ethnolinguistic gems had discovered that producing an answer to a meaningless and unitelligible question was better than not.

This is a very Irish attitude. Some poxy English git from Oksfurd or Carmbrish asking stupid questions about how do I know dat's Podraig over der? How do I know thats Podraig? I don't "know", it just is.

I offer the Kerry man pronuncation of "just is" as the most likely solution.
 
Hi all,
Not sure if the word is used in the UK,but over here in Ireland people often refer to understanding the gist of an argument i.e.they may not understand everything in fine detail but they can appreciate the main thrust of said argument.
Might I suggest that it is indeed we Irish that have given the birding world such a useful word?;-)
Slán libh,Harry H
 
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