Master confusing words with ease
Jerry-built vs. Jury-built
Jerry-built
/ˈdʒɛri ˌbɪlt/Examples:
The jerry-built shed barely withstood the first storm.They moved out once they realized the house was jerry-built.His jerry-built inventions often fell apart too soon.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Jury-built
/ˈdʒʊri bɪlt/Examples:
The house was jury-built, evident from its uneven foundation.After the rush job, the table appeared jury-built and unstable.Critics described the hastily erected stage as jury-built.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Ways to tell them apart:
- Both terms relate to something constructed, but jerry-built usually comes with negative connotations, implying poor workmanship.
- Jury-built is often mistakenly thought to be a synonym for jerry-built, but is less commonly used and does not necessarily imply poor quality.
- Remember that jerry-built has a connection with shoddy, both end in y hinting at low quality.
- The origin of jerry-built is uncertain, but it is well-established as a criticism of bad construction.
- Consider the err in jerry-built as an error in construction, while jury-built might misleadingly suggest a group decision.
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