[Idiom] jam it

[yuriya]

We both looked to our right and saw the gangsters rounding the far corner, headed our way. We had to keep running. Spader and I jammed it down the corridor. Our hope was to find a stairwell, or at least another corridor.

What is "jammed it" means here? Thanks in advance!

 

[emsr2d2]

What [STRIKE]is[/STRIKE] does "jammed it" [STRIKE]means[/STRIKE] mean here? Thanks in advance!

I've never heard this before, nor can I find it listed as a slang/informal verb, but from the context I would say that "to jam it" means "to run very fast".

Note - as marked above, we don't say "What is ... means?" You can say:

What does ... mean?
What is the meaning of ... ?

 

[Offroad]

"jammed" may have different meanings from 'to rush':

Urban Dictionary: jammed
jammed - definition of jammed by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.

 

[Jaskin]

hi,
Please note I'm not a teacher nor a native speaker.

Spader and I jammed it down the corridor

Did they carry anything ?


Cheers,

 

[yuriya]

hi,
Please note I'm not a teacher nor a native speaker.



Did they carry anything ?


Cheers,

NO. I guess the author used it to mean "beat it" here.

 

[emsr2d2]

We have a couple of phrases in BrE with the same format, which also mean to run very fast:

Leg it
Peg it

I legged it across the road.
I pegged it down the corridor.

 

[bertietheblue]

How did Bob Marley like his doughnuts?
Wi jammin':-D

 

[yuriya]

How did Bob Marley like his doughnuts?
Wi jammin':-D

Sorry, I don't get your humor.

 

[Abstract Idea]

As a non-native speaker I am still building my vocabulary, from several instances of English usage (including this very thread).

Previous to this thread, whenever I heard the expression "jam it" the song "Reggae Night" immediately came to my mind. As you can check by the lyrics in Internet, Jimmy Cliff uses such expression throughout that song. I guess it comes from associating Jamaica with Reggae (kind of "Jamaica it"). But I am not sure, I would like others to comment on it.

 

[Abstract Idea]

"jammed" may have different meanings from 'to rush':

Urban Dictionary: jammed

Maybe somehow the third entry ("under the influence of drugs") may be related to Jamaica?

 

[BobK]

I've never heard this before, nor can I find it listed as a slang/informal verb, but from the context I would say that "to jam it" means "to run very fast".

...

If it is slang it has a venerable heritage. The fast-running sailing ships that carried tea from India to England more than 100 years ago - the 'tea clippers' such as the Cutty Sark - were known as "wind-jammers".

b

 

[bertietheblue]

Doughnuts often come with jam in them (that is, with strawberry or other jam encased in the centre)

Bob Marley liked to 'jam' (improvise with other musicians/singers). In one of his most famous songs Jammin' - YouTube - bob marley - jammin - he keeps repeating the line "We're jammin'" (note the 'g' is dropped so he sings 'jammin' not 'jamming') except it sounds more like 'wi jammin'.

Get it?

 

[Abstract Idea]

Doughnuts often come with jam in them (that is, with strawberry or other jam encased in the centre)

Bob Marley liked to 'jam' (improvise with other musicians/singers). In one of his most famous songs Jammin' - YouTube - bob marley - jammin - he keeps repeating the line "We're jammin'" (note the 'g' is dropped so he sings 'jammin' not 'jamming') except it sounds more like 'wi jammin'.

Get it?

And does it have any connection with using drugs or being high by any chance?

 

[bertietheblue]

And does it have any connection with using drugs or being high by any chance?

Er, don't know. I mean, I imagine Bob got high on dope quite a lot but I couldn't say otherwise.

 

[bertietheblue]

back to 'jam it' - could it come from motoring slang: "jam your foot down", meaning "hit the gas" or, moving away from slang, "speed up, for goodness sake!" :?:

 

[Tdol]

And does it have any connection with using drugs or being high by any chance?

Jamming is a common term for musicians playing together, usually quite freely with solos and improvisation- you'll find it used in jazz, rock, etc. I think that drugs would be an optional extra rather than obligatory. ;-)

 

[mmasny]

We have a couple of phrases in BrE with the same format, which also mean to run very fast:

Leg it
Peg it

I legged it across the road.
I pegged it down the corridor.

Peg it? How did it come to life?
edit: also in this meaning - https://www.usingenglish.com/reference/phrasal-verbs/peg+it.html

 

[emsr2d2]

Peg it? How did it come to life?

I have no idea of the etymology or origin of "peg it" nor have I been able to find anything terribly helpful online, other than an entry on "Playground Slang" but it gave no further details.

Certainly, when I was a child, if you were doing something naughty and you saw an adult approaching, we would yell "Quick. Peg it!" and everyone would run!

Note - "to peg it" is also slang for "to die".

 

[Ouisch]

What is "jammed it" means here? Thanks in advance!

Your quote is from The Never War by D.J. MacHale, and in the context of that paragraph "jammed it" means that Spader and I ran as fast as we could, we were anxious to get out of there before the gangsters caught up with us.

In AmE "jam" or "jammed" can mean many things, one of which is to leave in a hurry, to rush, to speed off.

"It's 5:00, dude. Let's jam out of here before the boss comes by and asks us to work overtime."

"I was having a good time at the party, but when a bunch of gang-bangers showed up I jammed it out of there before they started any trouble."

 

[BobK]

...
Note - "to peg it" is also slang for "to die".

I've always heard it as 'peg out'. My own guess (no authority at all) is that this has something to do with the card game Cribbage - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (which is scored by moving pegs on a board - see the picture at the top of that article). I think when you finish the game you 'peg out'. (But I'm not sure of that as I've never played it).

b