# Jonesin'
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonesin/72314
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [July 13, 2001, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonesin/72314 "2001-07-13T02:53:58Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)
#### Post date: [July 13, 2001, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonesin/72314/1 "2001-07-13T02:53:58Z")
I know that its drug related, but does “I was Jonesin’” mean anything besides “I was stoned out of my gourd”?
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### Author:  [@Cabbage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabbage)
#### Post date: [July 13, 2001, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonesin/72314/2 "2001-07-13T03:01:57Z")
Actually, I’ve never heard it used that way. The way I’ve always heard it used is to mean you want something really bad, like “I’m jonesin’ for a joint”, but it doesn’t even have to be drug related, it could be “I’m jonesin’ for a Big Mac”.
I’ve always assumed it derived from the old saying of the need to “keep up with the Jones” (I need to keep up with the Jones–I’m jonesin’!) but I don’t know that for a fact.
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### Author:  [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)
#### Post date: [July 13, 2001, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonesin/72314/3 "2001-07-13T03:11:33Z")
I’m not up to date, but historically a "jones’ was a habit, i.e., “I’ve got a basketball jones.” Or a crank jones. Roughly equivalent to saying “I’ve got a monkey on my back.”
So the verb form, “jonesing,” would be to be experiencing the need, and poossibly doing what’s necessary, to satisfy that (drug) habit.
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### Author:  [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)
#### Post date: [July 13, 2001, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonesin/72314/4 "2001-07-13T03:32:09Z")
Manny years later it will present in your syntax and typing skills.
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### Author:  [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)
#### Post date: [July 13, 2001, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonesin/72314/5 "2001-07-13T03:48:18Z")
[Jones](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=42487)
Definitely had nothing to do with “keeping up with the Jones.”
[Dave Wilton](http://www.wordorigins.org/wordorj.htm#Jones) says origin unknown but early 60’s black English.
Almost certainly from drug users in the 50’s, if not earlier.
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### Author:  [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)
#### Post date: [July 13, 2001, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonesin/72314/6 "2001-07-13T13:14:32Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by beatle \*
> **experiencing the need,**
It was spoken after the fact by a friend in the hospital who, craving a cigarette under the influence of industrial strength pain killers tried to light a non-existant smoke.
Thanks, Beatle.
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### Author:  [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)
#### Post date: [July 13, 2001, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonesin/72314/7 "2001-07-13T14:49:57Z")
As I understand it, the term derives from the name of a Jones Park (in NYC?) frequented by drug dealers.
Regardless of its origin it does seem pretty certain that it is drug slang, although it can be used to express a strong desire for almost anything. For instance, I’ve heard surfers say that they were “jonesin’ for a wave”. On one occasion I myself admitted that I was “jonesin’ for some Lucky Charms”.