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Jones/jones

Posted by Jim on January 11, 2002

In Reply to: Jones/jones posted by ESC on January 10, 2002

: : : : : Two quickies... the meaning and origin of the verb "to jones". I suspect valspeak here (and thank you to whoever brought that wonderful term to my attention in an earlier thread).

: : : : : Also what's the origin of "mmm hmm" being used as a synonym for "you're welcome" in the USA? This still throws me every time I hear it, since in the UK, "mmm hmm" exclusively means "yes" or "I agree".

: : : : : Thanks.

: : : :
: : : : I'm not sure "mmm hmm"is used as a synonym for 'you're welcome' unless it is a regional phonomenon like "ehyup" for yes in some parts of New England or "you bet" or "you betcha" for "you're welcome" in North and South Dakota. Where did you come across this?

: : : A "Jones" is a drug addiction and "Jones-ing" means the craving or withdrawal symptoms. I am away from my library right now, but I believe the terms have their roots in Black English. I'll check that. It has come to have other meanings, like "love Jones," etc.

: : I can confirm that "Mm-hm" is used as a response to "Thank you" in other parts of the US. I'm in California, and we sometimes do that here when the situation is so casual or impersonal (e.g., a dialogue between a retail clerk and a customer) that the more formal "You're welcome" isn't needed. It is indeed much like "You bet."

: JONES - 1. A strong, overwhelming desire for anything you indulge in or acquire and never get enough of - money, sex, chocolate, gambling, clothes, etc. Originally referred to addiction to h****n or c*****e. 2. P***s. From Black Talk: Words and Phrases from the Hood to the Amen Corner by Geneva Smitherman (Houghton Mifflin Co., New York, N.Y., 1994)

: jones - noun. From family name; semantic development unknown. Originally Black English. 1. narc. a. drug addiction, especially to h****n. 1962 Maurer & Vogel, Narc. Add., (ed. 2) 308: Jones: A drug habit. From Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang, Volume 2, H-O by J.E. Lighter, Random House, New York, 1994.

love Jones? Play on words?

ME AND MRS. JONES
Billy Paul
- written by Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff and Cary Gilbert
- a #1 hit for Billy Paul in 1972 (released September 1972)

Me and Mrs. Jones, we got a thing going on,
We both know that it's wrong
But it's much too strong to let it cool down now.
We meet ev'ry day at the same cafe,
Six-thirty I know she'll be there,
Holding hands, making all kinds of plans
While the jukebox plays our favorite song.
Me and Mrs., Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones,
Mrs. Jones got a thing going on,
We both know that it's wrong,
But it's much too strong to let it cool down now.
We gotta be extra careful that we don't build our hopes too high
Cause she's got her own obligations and so do I,
Me, me and Mrs., Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones,
Mrs. Jones got a thing going on,
We both know that it's wrong,
But it's much too strong to let it cool down now.
Well, it's time for us to be leaving,
Iit hurts so much, it hurts so much inside,
Now she'll go her way and I'll go mine,
But tomorrow we'll meet the same place, the same time.
Me and Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones.

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