E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.
Jemmy,
a name found in engravings of the eighteenth century, was James Worsdale, the painter and dramatic writer (died 1767).
1
A housebreaker’s crowbar. A variant of Jimmy, Jenny, Jinnie, and a diminutive of en-gine. Similarly a “spinning-jinnie” is a small engine for spinning. These crowbars generally take to pieces that they may be slipped into the pocket.
