# Jimmies: Racist Etymology? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 11, 2009, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmies-racist-etymology/489036 "2009-03-11T03:36:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeke\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/839c29/32.png) [@Zeke\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeke_R)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmies-racist-etymology/489036/1 "2009-03-11T03:36:19Z")
Hi all. I’m trying to locate the correct etymology for the word jimmies (or a single jimmy), a term for the sprinkles you put on your ice cream if you live in New England. I was using it the other day, and a friend insisted that it was racist. Here is what I’ve been able to find so far: [http://www.justborn.com/just-for-fun/fun-facts](http://www.justborn.com/just-for-fun/fun-facts) [http://www.justborn.com/get-to-know-us/our-history](http://www.justborn.com/get-to-know-us/our-history) [http://www.brighams.com/ice\_cream/facts.asp](http://www.brighams.com/ice_cream/facts.asp) [http://www.word-detective.com/030299.html#jimmies](http://www.word-detective.com/030299.html#jimmies) [http://esotericappeal.typepad.com/my\_weblog/2007/10/common-racist-s.html](http://esotericappeal.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/10/common-racist-s.html) > **[burke](https://jeanharper.org/upcoming-events/burke/)** > > Visit the post for more. and the most reliable looking source, [Word Myths: Debunking Linguistic Urban Legends - David Wilton - Google Books](http://books.google.com/books?id=cp0r3aa8EM8C&pg=PA160&lpg=PA160&dq=jimmies+racist&source=web&ots=W0HhEaEtFP&sig=95m69lNp1Q-CKLvPtgMxdmOknxM&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=7&ct=result#PPA160,M1) (page 160) However, the pages that contain the reference in that final link are “omitted from this book preview.” I realize this looks like a fairly good case against the term being racist, but does anyone have a solid, printed source that can confirm? Most of the Just Born stuff looks like company propaganda rather than reliable fact, and the author of [www.etymonline.com](http://www.etymonline.com), when asked, was unwilling to base any final word on internet sources. ---
**Author:** ![dbuzman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de0a6/32.png) [@dbuzman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dbuzman)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmies-racist-etymology/489036/2 "2009-03-11T04:14:43Z")
What did your friend offer as proof it was racist? Your friend said it was, it’s on him/her to prove it. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmies-racist-etymology/489036/3 "2009-03-11T04:20:04Z")
I’ve heard the term jimmies before, but I don’t recall if they are all chocolate–i.e. dark–or if the term includes the multicolored ones. If the former, it’s not an untenable theory that there was originally some racist allusion there. “Jim Crow” perhaps? The nickname Jim does seem to be markedly unpopular among African Americans, but then so do a lot of other ones as well. I can’t recall the the last time I met or heard of an African American male who went by Bob or Tom or Jack, or particularly Jim. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmies-racist-etymology/489036/4 "2009-03-11T05:00:13Z")
I’d say your references make a better case against jimmies having a non-racist origin than 99% of the word questions asked around here have cases made for or against. They even specifically look at the Jim Crow link and say there’s no evidence. You never get that ultimate “Well, I coined the word jimmies in 1892 and I confirm that it had no racial connotations” cite. Make your friend read your cites and then smack him if he still makes the claim. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmies-racist-etymology/489036/5 "2009-03-11T06:36:44Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > I’ve heard the term jimmies before, but I don’t recall if they are all chocolate–i.e. dark–or if the term includes the multicolored ones. If the former, it’s not an untenable theory that there was originally some racist allusion there. “Jim Crow” perhaps? The nickname Jim does seem to be markedly unpopular among African Americans, but then so do a lot of other ones as well. I can’t recall the the last time I met or heard of an African American male who went by Bob or Tom or Jack, or particularly Jim. In my experience if you ask for jimmies or sprinkles the default type is the multicolored type. If you want chocolate jimmies you have to say “chocolate jimmies”. I hate the word jimmie. I always say sprinkles. Not because it’s racist, it is just too tinny. ETA: Have you thought to ask snopes to look into it? ---
**Author:** ![seosamh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@seosamh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seosamh)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmies-racist-etymology/489036/6 "2009-03-11T07:49:06Z")
There’s no problem with the word in the UK as we never use it. The technical term for those things is “hundreds and thousands”. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmies-racist-etymology/489036/7 "2009-03-11T12:00:37Z")
Who is going to mistake Jimmies as putting a person of a certain race on a doughnut? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmies-racist-etymology/489036/8 "2009-03-11T14:41:38Z")
> [@seosamh](#): > > The technical term for those things is “hundreds and thousands”. No, the technical term is _[nonpareils](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonpareils)_. Anyway, why don’t you buy the explanation by the people in your first link, who actually owned the trademark, **Zeke**. If they say “employee”, I’m willing to believe it. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmies-racist-etymology/489036/9 "2009-03-11T14:51:23Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > No, the technical term is _[nonpareils](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonpareils)_. What, it’s French, so it must be the technical term? ---
**Author:** ![SharkB8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/977dab/32.png) [@SharkB8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SharkB8)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmies-racist-etymology/489036/10 "2009-03-11T15:04:21Z")
I’d never heard the term “jimmies” until moving to New England. I was in Minnesota before coming here. I have only heard jimmies refer to chocolate sprinkles. When I first heard the term, I’m all like, “Wha?” They then explained to me that “jimmies” is kind of racist, but the term is pervasive enough that it probably will not go away. I did ask why and I can’t remember the story, but for some reason, something about a black butler-type comes to mind. I can try to hunt down the friend to get the legendary explanation behind the term. I also thought nonpareils referred to anything that is small and numerous. Like even those flat, flower-shaped ones, to the round balls **MrDibble** mentioned. Also, it’s the name of a certain size of [capers](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caper#Culinary_uses). Jimmies, as far as I know, are specifically chocolate, oblong sprinkles. ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmies-racist-etymology/489036/11 "2009-03-11T15:59:47Z")
I’d go with the Brighams link. If they don’t know the real origin, nobody does. They indicate they are named after the inventor at the candy company that developed the product. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_the_turtle/32/2926_2.png) [@Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_the_Turtle)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmies-racist-etymology/489036/12 "2009-03-11T17:03:56Z")
How about “Jimmy Legs”? Anyone know the etymology of that, or if it is related? Certainly Seinfeld didn’t invent the term, or did they? ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmies-racist-etymology/489036/13 "2009-03-11T17:46:26Z")
Male crabs are called jimmies, too, and I don’t think there’s anything remotely race-related to it. Regardless, it’s just another one of those incomprehensible manglings of the English language, used nowhere else but there, in which New Englanders seem to specialize. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmies-racist-etymology/489036/14 "2009-03-11T18:45:38Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > No, the technical term is _[nonpareils](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonpareils)_. Nonpareils and sprinkles/jimmies aren’t the same thing. Nonpareils are ball-shaped and sprinkles are stick-shaped. They don’t taste the same, either. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmies-racist-etymology/489036/15 "2009-03-11T19:04:21Z")
FWIW, here’s the entry from OED Online. I’ve included only the earliest print cite, but as you see, it’s from 1949, not 1947. > [@](#): > > DRAFT ADDITIONS JANUARY 2005 > > **Jimmy** , n.2 > > - \*U.S. regional (chiefly north-east.). \*Also with lower-case initial. In _pl_. Tiny confections, typically rod or pellet-shaped, served on ice cream or other desserts; = **SPRINKLE** n.1 Cf. \*hundreds and thousands \*at **HUNDRED** n. and adj. 7. > > 1949 _Nashua_ (New Hampsh.) _Tel. 22_ Apr. 18 _(advt.)_ Cones with Jimmies 10c-15c. ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Fun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a9adbd/32.png) [@Mike\_Fun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Fun)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmies-racist-etymology/489036/16 "2009-03-11T20:21:40Z")
Life long New Englander here. I’ve always heard chocolate sprinkles called Jimmies, but it wan’t until the last couple of years that I’ve heard the claims that it was racist. Nobody who says this has been able to explain why this is racist, though. Loach said: “I hate the word jimmie. I always say sprinkles. Not because it’s racist, it is just too tinny.” I couldn’t agree more. It’s not woody in the least. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmies-racist-etymology/489036/17 "2009-03-11T20:47:26Z")
> [@seosamh](#): > > The technical term for those things is “hundreds and thousands”. Where I grew up (in New Zealand, for those of you who still don’t know who I am) the chocolate sprinkles were called “chocolate hail” and the coloured dots are “hundreds and thousands.” I believe these were names chosen by specific brands, that then fell into generic usage. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmies-racist-etymology/489036/18 "2009-03-11T22:17:37Z")
Born and raised in Philly…called Jimmies there, too. No racist connotations as long as I remember. Need not be the chocolate variety, but any candied sprinkles: this, however, does NOT include other sprinkled-on confections, such as walnut crumbs, chocolate chips, Sno-Caps, or M&Ms. ---
**Author:** ![Zeke\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/839c29/32.png) [@Zeke\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeke_R)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmies-racist-etymology/489036/19 "2009-03-11T22:28:46Z")
This site: [http://www.justborn.com/get-to-know-us/photo-gallery](http://www.justborn.com/get-to-know-us/photo-gallery) has a picture of their Jimmies claiming they are ™ circa 1930 [http://www.justborn.com/resource/corporate/image/galleries/c5ca4871-4d9e-404d-9736-243eb209d5a4.jpg](http://www.justborn.com/resource/corporate/image/galleries/c5ca4871-4d9e-404d-9736-243eb209d5a4.jpg) which would seem to predate the 1949 first printing. Circa is kind of hazy, though; I’ll see if I can find that trademark recorded somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmies-racist-etymology/489036/20 "2009-03-11T23:52:07Z")
Poet and etymologist John Ciardi had [this](http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=4985093&m=4985094) to say in a 1986 edition of NPR’s _On Words_. He said that the term predated both the justborn and brighams claims of trademarks, and that it was in wide use as early as 1900 to 1920. But, alas, he too was out of ideas as to its actual origins. No mention of racism was made in any case. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmies-racist-etymology/489036.md?page=2)