Entry from
November 06, 2005
Jints (Giants)
Ben Zimmer of the American Dialect Society added this "Jints" comment on the ADS listserv in November 2005.
One for Barry (surprised it's not already on his site)...
Someone on alt.usage.english asked about the nickname "Jints", now occasionally used for the New York football Giants (or the Jersey Giants, as we say across the Hudson), but previously applied to the New York baseball Giants. Turns out that it was used for the Cuban Giants, the first professional black baseball team, back in 1889.
One for Barry (surprised it's not already on his site)...
Someone on alt.usage.english asked about the nickname "Jints", now occasionally used for the New York football Giants (or the Jersey Giants, as we say across the Hudson), but previously applied to the New York baseball Giants. Turns out that it was used for the Cuban Giants, the first professional black baseball team, back in 1889.