different between jay vs jake

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: j?, IPA^(key): /d?e?/
• Rhymes: -e?

Etymology 1

From Middle English jay, from Old French jai ("jay"; Modern French geai), from Old French gai (“gay, merry”), so named due to its plumage, from Old Frankish *g?hi (“quick, impetuous”), from Proto-Germanic *ganhuz, *ganhwaz (“sudden”), cognate with Dutch gaai (“jay”). More at gay.

Noun

jay (plural jays)

1. Any one of the numerous species of birds belonging to several genera within the family Corvidae, including Garrulus, Cyanocitta, Aphelocoma, Perisoreus, Cyanocorax, Gymnorhinus, Cyanolyca, Ptilostomus, and Calocitta, allied to the crows, but smaller, more graceful in form, often handsomely coloured, usually having a crest, and often noisy.
2. Other birds of similar appearance and behaviour.
3. Any of various large papilionid butterflies of the genus Graphium.
4. (archaic) A dull or ignorant person. It survives today in the term jaywalking.
   • 1900, Harry B. Norris, Burlington Bertie (song)

     Burlington Bertie's the latest young jay
     He rents a swell flat somewhere Kensington way
     He spends the good oof that his pater has made
     Along with the Brandy and Soda Brigade.

5. (obsolete) Promiscuous woman; prostitute.

Synonyms

• (bird): Jenny jay, jay pie, k, kae (UK); bluejay, whisky jack (US)
• (ignorant person): See Thesaurus:ignoramus
• (promiscuous woman): See Thesaurus:promiscuous woman or Thesaurus:prostitute

Hyponyms

• (bird): Old World jay, gray jay, American jay

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• Jay on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Corvidae on Wikispecies.Wikispecies

Etymology 2

Respelling of the letter jy (which see), by analogy with the following letter kay.

Noun

jay (plural jays)

1. The name of the Latin-script letter J.
2. (slang) A marijuana cigarette; a joint.
   • 2009, Caitlin Moran, The Times, 23 Mar 2009:

     Although sympathetic, my main reaction was to think: “Some people can handle it, and some people can’t,” and then smugly light up a big fat jay.

Derived terms

• deejay
• jaycee

Translations

See also

• (Latin-script letter names) letter; a, bee, cee, dee, e, ef, gee, aitch, i, jay, kay, el, em, en, o, pee, cue, ar, ess, tee, u, vee, double-u, ex, wye, zee / zed

References

• jay in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

Kaqchikel

Noun

jay

1. home

Middle English

Alternative forms

• jai, gaye, jey

Etymology

From Old French jai, from Frankish *g?hi or Late Latin gaius. Doublet of gay.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d??i?/

Noun

jay (plural jayes)

1. jay (bird)

Descendants

• English: jay
• Scots: jay

References

• “jai, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-06-18.

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /d?e?k/

Adjective

jake (comparative more jake, superlative most jake)

1. (slang) Adequate; satisfactory; acceptable.
   • 1939, Raymond Chandler, The Big Sleep, Penguin 2011, p. 126:

     ‘What do you care? Just keep your nose clean and everything will be jake.’

Noun

jake (countable and uncountable, plural jakes)

1. (US) A juvenile male turkey.
2. (New York, slang) police, a federal government officer.
   • 1998, Big L, "Ebonics (Criminal Slang)"

     A radio is a box, a razor blade is a ox / fat diamonds is rocks and jakes is cops.

3. (slang) A police officer (on foot, rather than in a patrol car)
4. (US, slang, uncountable) Jamaica ginger
5. A Discordian prank involving a large number of people sending bizarre letters or parcels to a targeted individual.
   • 1993, "selvarv, the keeper of Rig", Today's impending JAKE! (on newsgroup alt.discordia)

     Hello, I'm afraid in some regards I'm too discordian for my own good and I forgot to either write down the jake-dupe's address, or include it in my repost when I suggested today as jake day....

   • 1994, "Matthew Morse", StarTrek (on newsgroup alt.discordia)

     It strikes me that organizing a jake over the net is a bad idea, because Hormel could conceivably find out about it before it happens. That's not going to stop me from participating though.

   • 1999, "Jeff X. Mink", My Christmas Card! (on newsgroup alt.discordia)

     Call me old fashioned, but this situation is really inappropriate for a jake. […] I mean that a little girl was seriously injured, […] and we, as Discordians, should have more respect for the holy tradition of the jake, and use its powers only for those situations where it can actually do some good, or at least be worth a good laugh.

Derived terms

• jake leg

Verb

jake (third-person singular simple present jakes, present participle jaking, simple past and past participle jaked)

1. (transitive) To play a Discordian prank on (somebody), involving a large number of people sending bizarre letters or parcels to that person.