half-jack, noun

Origin:
EnglishShow more English half + jack a gill or quarter-pint measure.
colloquial
A half-bottle (now 375 ml) of spirit, usually sold in a flattened pocket-size bottle; a measure of spirit (especially brandy) sold at a shebeen; haffie, ha-ja sense a. Also attributive. See also nipinyana. Cf. straight.
1953 P. Lanham Blanket Boy’s Moon 70He took from his pocket a half-jack of white man’s brandy.
1959 L. Longmore Dispossessed 222African women who buy large quantitites of liquor..may not sell a whole bottle of brandy or gin but measure out tots for 2s.6d, nips for 5s., half-jacks for 10s.
1967 O. Walker Hippo Poacher 38After a few pulls on a half-jack of brandy which one of the others carried, the old man perked up.
[a1968 D.C. Themba in E. Patel World of Can Themba (1985) 159Our hostess waddled up to the cops. They ordered half-a-jack of brandy.]
1970 M. Dikobe Marabi Dance. 9The brandy drinkers ordered half-jack quantities, paid a pound and refused the change.
1975 ‘Blossom’ in Darling 28 May 95Biltong sarmies and other light refreshments such as, three demijohns of white malmsey and a half-jack medicinal brandy to keep the driver awake juring the wee small hours.
1982 Fair Lady 1 Dec. 183A small garden table stacked with empty Coke bottles and ‘nips’ (the measure in which spirits are sold in shebeens — the equivalent of 250 ml or a half-jack).
1982 D. Kramer Short Back & Sides 36We got stoned on a half-jack of cane In the toilets of the school.
1987 O. Musi in Drum June 58Ngcobo was pleased at the reunion more especially as his new-found mate..presented him with a half-jack as a ‘thank-you’ gift.
1993 I. Vladislavić Folly 86A half-jack of Johnny Walker and a nip of Drambuie..now came to light.
1994 [see straight].
A half-bottle (now 375 ml) of spirit, usually sold in a flattened pocket-size bottle; a measure of spirit (especially brandy) sold at a shebeen; haffie, ha-ja sense a. Also attributive.
Entry Navigation

Visualise Quotations

Quotation summary

Senses

19531993

Browse Related Words

By Category

Alcoholic Drinks
Measures

By Origin

English

By Usage

colloquial
half-cord, nounn.half-man, nounn.
Copyright © 2025 Dictionary Unit for South African English