Forms: 6–7 iogge, 7 jogg, 7– jog, (9 Sc. jag). [Known only from 16th c.; origin unascertained: app. onomatopœic, and akin to SHOG, which is to some extent synonymous and of earlier appearance.
The suggestion of a Celtic origin is not tenable. English phonology knows nothing of a change of go to jo. And the alleged Welsh gogi, given by Pughe as ‘to shake, agitate,’ has no existence (Prof. Rhŷs).
For a vb. jog, jogge, which appears in Piers Plowman, varying with jagge, and jugge, see JUG v.4 Jogis in Wars of Alexander l. 1507 (where the two texts differ widely, and are both corrupt) is evidently an error for some other word.]
1. trans. To shake or move (a heavy body) with a push or jerk; to throw up with a jerk; to shake up.
1548. Cooper, Elyot’s Biblioth., Succutio, to shake a thyng, to iogge vp, to lifte as the horse that trotteth harde lifteth one at euery steppe in the saddle.
1591. Lyly, Sappho, IV. iii. I thinke all her teeth will be loose, they are so often jogged against her tongue.
1640. Bp. Reynolds, Passions, xvii. 182. The Seamans needle which is jogged and troubled, never leaves moving till it finde the North point againe.
a. 1648. Digby, Closet Open. (1677), 109. Perfectly sweet cream, that hath not been jogged with carriage.
a. 1770. Chatterton, Exhibition, in Harper’s Mag. (1883), July, 236/1. The prudent Mayor jogged his dinner down.
1878. W. Clark Russell, Wreck ‘Grosvenor,’ vi. Large masses of this froth … were jogged clean off the water, and struck the deck or sides of the ship with reports like the discharge of a pistol.
b. fig.
1642. Fuller, Holy & Prof. St., III. x. 175. What wonder is it if agitation of businesse jog that out of thy head?
1688. Bunyan, Jerusalem Sinner (1886), 119. Art thou jogged, and shaken, and molested at the hearing of the Word?
a. 1734. North, Lives, Ld. Guildford (1745), 239. This very project of getting the general gaol delivery of recusants … was jogged upon his lordship to have had it been moved by him.
2. To give a slight push to, so as to shake; to nudge; esp. so as to arouse to attention.
1589. Greene, Menaphon (Arb.), 45. Doron iogde Melicertus on the elbowe, and so awakte him out of a dreame.
c. 1620. Z. Boyd, Zion’s Flowers (1855), 12. Though I him jog and shake, its all in vaine.
1643. Prynne, Sov. Power Parlt., App. 195. Shall he pull those by the eares who are asleepe, or onely jogge them by the sides?
1663. Butler, Hud., I. iii. 765. He jogg’d his good Steed nigher And steer’d him gently toward the Squire.
1725. Pope, Odyss., XIV. 545. Sudden I jogg’d Ulysses, who was laid Fast by my side.
1889. J. K. Jerome, Idle Thoughts, 32. A bored-looking man, with a fashionably-dressed woman jogging his elbow.
b. fig.; esp. to jog the memory.
1601. Sir W. Cornwallis, Disc. Seneca (1631), 10. Providence … jogs him, if vaine pleasures lull him in sensuality.
a. 1764. Lloyd, Poems, Shakespeare. Jog them, lest attention sink, To tell them how and what to think.
1778. (title) An Antidote to Popery; or the Protestant’s Memory jogg’d in Season.
1825. Lamb, Elia, Ser. II. The Convalescent. Jogging this witness, refreshing that solicitor.
1840. Lady C. Bury, Hist. of Flirt, xi. I jogged his memory by reverting to our water-party.
1874. C. Keene, Lett., in Life, vii. (1892), 165. I often jog him up with a letter, but he never answers.
3. intr. To move up and down or to and fro with a heavy unsteady motion; to move about as if shaken.
1586. Bright, Melanch., xl. 268. When the meate is perceaued to be loose and iogge in the stomach.
1611. Cotgr., Cahoter, to jumpe, iog, or hop, as a coach in vneuen way.
1676. Hobbes, Iliad, I. 50. His bow and quiver both behinde him hang, The arrows chink as often as he jogs.
1852. Mrs. Smythies, Bride Elect, viii. His sisters-elect, jigging and jogging in a mad polka.
1858. Greener, Gunnery, 370. One projection … would make the ball jog and oscillate much after the manner that has been described.
1865. Dickens, Mut. Fr., III. xiv. Mr. Venus listened to these lamentations in silence, while Mr. Boffin jogged to and fro.
4. intr. To walk or ride with a jolting pace, ‘to move with small shocks like those of a low trot’ (J.); to move on at a heavy or labored pace, to trudge; hence, to move on, go on, be off.
1565. [see JOGGING vbl. sb.].
1590. Greene, Mourn. Garm. (1616), 38. He bade his man bee iogging.
1596. Lambarde, Peramb. Kent (ed. 2), 229. This Iade … driuen (as it were) by some diuine furie, neuer ceassed iogging till he came at the Abbay church doore.
1596. Shaks., Tam. Shr., III. ii. 213. There lies your way, You may be iogging whiles your bootes are greene.
1630. Dekker, 2nd Pt. Honest Wh., Wks. 1873, II. 145. Has thy husband any Lands?… any Ploughs iogging?
1663. Butler, Hud., I. i. 631. Few miles on Horseback had they jogged.
a. 1754. Fielding, Fathers, I. ii. A Knight of the Shire used to jog to town with a brace of geldings.
1821. Clare, Vill. Minstr., I. 26. The load jogg’d homeward down the lane.
1833. L. Ritchie, Wand. by Loire, 182. You may see the farmer and his farmeress jogging to market … on their respective steeds.
1876. Green, Stray Stud., 51. The women sing as they jog down the hill-paths.
b. esp. with on, along.
1611. Shaks., Wint. T., IV. iii. 132. Iog-on, Iog-on the foot path way, And merrily hent the Stile-a.
c. 1631. Milton, 2nd Poem Univ. Carrier, 4. While he might still jog on and keep his trot.
1697. Dampier, Voy. (1729), I. 172. We jogged on after this with a gentle gale.
1758. Capt. Tyrrel, in Naval Chron., X. 359. Whilst I made all the sail I could, they were jogging on under their foresails and top-sails.
1797. Mrs. Radcliffe, Italian, xii. (1824), 596. But Paulo … jogged merrily along.
1892. Anne Ritchie, Rec. Tennyson, etc. III. iv. 187. Our old white horse jogged steadily on.
c. fig. In reference to time, or continued action of any kind. Chiefly jog on.
1677. Horneck, Gt. Law Consid., iv. (1704), 142. Unwillingness to lose a temporal advantage makes them jogg on in a course which perhaps they do dislike.
1683. Kennett, trans. Erasm. on Folly, 23. To jog sleepingly through the world … cannot properly be said to live.
1698. Fryer, Acc. E. India & P., 282. Through all these Scenes, Time keeps jogging on.
1702. C. Mather, Magn. Chr., I. iii. (1852), 57. So they jogged on till the day twelvemonth after their first arrival.
1803. Scott, Fam. Lett., 6 March (1894), I. i. 18. My worldly matters jog on very well.
1893. F. F. Moore, I Forbid Banns (1899), 14. I want things to jog along as quietly as possible. Jogging along is true happiness, if people only knew it.
Hence Jogging vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
1565. Cooper, Thesaurus, Succussatura, a ioggynge: a trottinge.
1581. Mulcaster, Positions, xii. (1887), 61. Sore shaking or hard iogging doth [trouble] the wearied body.
1660. H. More, Myst. Godl., I. vi. 17. A kinde of jogging or stirring up which is used to recover or prevent ones falling into a swoon.
1787. Best, Angling (ed. 2), 12. Lead it [the line] in such manner as will sink the bait … and permit its motion, without any violent jogging on the ground.
1884. St. James’s Gaz., 21 March, 4/2. The official memory requires frequent jogging.
1886. Stevenson, Kidnapped, i. He … set off … by the way that we had come at a sort of jogging run.
