Sweet Jelly Roll

Posted by ESC on July 18, 2001

In Reply to: Sweet Jelly Roll posted by R. Berg on July 18, 2001

: : I have come across this line in many blues songs. What does it mean and where does it come from?

: : 'I make the best jelly roll in town baby'

: : 'Sweet jelly roll'

: It refers to female sexuality. The "jelly roll" metaphor goes back before 1900, according to the Dictionary of American Slang.

For further discussion, search the archives under "jelly roll." From that earlier discussion: The Ken Burns series on jazz (previously, "jass") is on PBS (public TV) now in the U.S. One of the jazz fathers is Jelly Roll Morton. A person interviewed for the series said "jelly roll" (in addition to sex in general) refers to a particular sexual move, a flourish so to speak. But no further details were given.

• Sweet Jelly Roll R. Berg 07/18/01
  • Sweet Jelly Roll clare 07/20/01