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Jimmy the dunce

Posted by RRC on September 07, 2008 at 23:40

In Reply to: Jimmy the dunce posted by Nicholas Francis on September 07, 2008 at 10:11:

: : : Anyone hear of the phrase 'Jimmy the dunce'? Any known origin? I have a bet on this meaning. How about 'Mickey the dunce'?

: : It is as I know it 'Jack the Dance',I beleive it may be just 'Jack' as was the name for anyone swinging...sweet thought isn't it! They jiggle away for a while.

There are just a few hints for "Jimmy the dunce" but there are about 300 for "Mickey the dunce" usually in the form of "play Jimmy/Mickey the dunce" meaning to act is if you don't know anything. Going out on a limb, I might guess it to have originated as a slur against the Irish or Irish-Americans.

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