jerkwater

[ jurk-waw-ter, -wot-er ]

adjective

1. Informal. insignificant and out-of-the-way:

   a jerkwater town.

2. (formerly) off the main line:

   a jerkwater train.

noun

1. (formerly) a train not running on the main line.

jerkwater

/ ˈdʒɜːkˌwɔːtə /

adjective

1. slang.
   inferior and insignificant

   a jerkwater town

Word History and Origins

Origin of jerkwater¹

1875–80, Americanism; jerk ¹ + water; so called from the jerking (i.e., drawing) of water to fill buckets for supplying a steam locomotive

Word History and Origins

Origin of jerkwater¹

C19: originally referring to railway locomotives for which water was taken on in buckets from streams along the route

Example Sentences

And we can empty that pocket just as well with a little jerkwater outfit like this as we could with a big crew and a real mill.

From Project Gutenberg

He'd make more dough if he owned the local garage and dealer franchise for one of the automobile companies in some jerkwater town.

From Project Gutenberg

They came from Chicago and jerkwater towns in Nebraska, from farms and steel mills, from the stage and the pulpit.

From Project Gutenberg

He's never been out of a jerkwater burg in his life, hardly.

From Project Gutenberg