A short crowbar used by burglars to force open doors or windows. Also a diminutive form of the name James.
As a tool, from the name James/Jimmy, possibly because it was a common tool among workers named Jimmy. The association between the name and the tool developed in 19th-century criminal slang.
The jimmy crowbar got its name through criminal folklore, where 'Jimmy' became slang for any generic person, especially in phrases like 'jimmy the lock.' It's fascinating how a common name became synonymous with breaking and entering!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.