The Jolly History of Jackanapes

Hello,

I haven’t explored a foolish word in some time so this week let’s take a look at jackanapes. Before we venture into the many different suggested etymologies for this one, what does it mean? It’s not used very much these days but the dictionaries give three meanings.

an impudent or conceited mana cheeky or mischievous childa monkey or ape

I still hear adults sometimes teasing a child by calling them a cheeky monkey, I imagine that was covered under jackanapes back in the day. Exactly how far back is that day?

Merriam Webster reckon first usage was 1529 (with the monkey sense) and Etymology Online plump for mid 1400s. Certainly it was in use by 1597 when Shakespeare wrote “I will teach a scurvy jackanape priest to meddle or make” in Act I of “Merry Wives of Windsor”. Judging by how much my blog-editing tool dislikes the word, modern dictionaries don’t always include jackanapes, although it does appear in my battered 1984 Collins Compact from my school days.

Finding the story behind jackanapes is even trickier than convincing a modern editing tool that it’s part of the English language.

Merriam Webster pin the blame on English history, the Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453) in fact. One of the main commanders on the English side was William de la Pole (Duke of Suffolk) and when England lost its territories in northern France a large chunk of the blame was laid at his door. To such an extent that he was murdered for it in 1450.

They think his nickname, used to mock him for his military failure, was Jack Napis. Jack was a common term for somebody you deemed below you in society. The api part was a reference to the duke’s crest which featured an ape’s clog. I was pretty sure apes didn’t wear clogs, and they don’t. It’s a weight used with a chain to restrain a captive primate (think ball and chain, I guess). They assume Jack Napis gradually slurred into jackanapes.

It’s one of the earliest stories for the origin but if he died in 1450 and the word wasn’t much recorded until the 1500s, then I wouldn’t be entirely sure of that one.

“Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable” adds more theories, and confusion. He says Jack was a term for a monkey and that napes could have roots in ape (making it mean monkey monkey?) or in the town of Naples in Italy. Naples, a busy sea port, exported many items. They exported fustian cloth and it was called fustian-a-napes to indicate its source in Naples. It’s not a huge leap to think they also traded in captive apes and we got jack-a-napes.

Etymology Online, as usual, adds to the story. They’re not sure of the source (and neither am I) but mention Century Dictionary claims it was originally somebody who exhibited performing apes. It does sound like a term for a street entertainer and they probably did have to project a pushy, conceited persona to attract an audience. It’s possible.

The gem they leave us with is this – there is a female version – Jane-of-apes who was defined as a pert or forward girl. Jane, of course, is a common name anyhow but it does provide a lovely link back to the Lord of the Apes, Tarzan, whose girlfriend was called Jane.

Until next time, happy reading, writing, and wordfooling,

Grace (@Wordfoolery)

p.s. Oook!