give someone Jessie
A dated British slang phrase meaning to beat, thrash, or give someone a thorough going-over — either physically or verbally.
Definitions
A dated British slang phrase meaning to beat, thrash, or give someone a thorough going-over — either physically or verbally. If someone said they were going to give you Jessie, you knew a rough time was coming. The origin of the name Jessie in this context is disputed, but the phrase was common enough in Victorian and Edwardian Britain that it appeared in literature and music hall. Today it's more likely to crop up in historical fiction or nostalgic speech than in everyday conversation.
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(slang, dated) To beat or thrash someone.
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Semantically related
- give someone Jesse85%
(US, slang) To give someone a scolding or a beating.
- give someone goss62%
(US, slang, archaic) To beat or thrash someone.
- give someone goss62%
In its archaic US sense, to give someone goss meant to beat or thrash them. However, the phrase has a far more widely understood modern counterpart in Australian slang where "give someone the goss" means to share gossip or the latest news with someone. The Aussie usage is lively, social, and entirely non-violent — you give your mates the goss about what happened at the weekend.
- gissa60%
(UK, slang, nonstandard, in imperative utterances) Give us a; give me a.