Fun thread: Why Do We Say “Jinx”?

[Michie]

Was not sure where to put this. It’s a fun read. Enjoy!
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The term may have originated with a type of bird that can twist its head upside-down.

The term jinx typically appears in light-hearted contexts today. Fans might say a baseball team has been “jinxed” ever since trading a player. Kids might use it when they say the same word at the same time, exclaiming “jinx!” to curse the other party with bad luck. One might describe a computer that crashes multiple times—or a person that can’t hold down a job—as “jinxed.”

The practice of labeling bad luck as a jinx is so commonplace that it’s easy to gloss over the origins of the word. So what exactly is a jinx, and when did we start jinxing one another in the first place?

What Is a Jinx?​

According to Merriam-Webster, jinx is a name for ”one that brings bad luck.” The term can also be used as a verb, describing an act that brings bad luck like a hex. In that case, the noun jinx can also refer to “the state or spell of bad luck brought on by a jinx.”

Where Did the Term Jinx Come From?​

Continued below.

Why Do We Say “Jinx”?

If you’ve ever been jinxed into owing someone a soda, you should know why.

www.mentalfloss.com

 

[johansen]

it might be much older than that, going back to the Jinn.

 

[Zaha Torte]

Was not sure where to put this. It’s a fun read. Enjoy!
*****************

The term may have originated with a type of bird that can twist its head upside-down.

The term jinx typically appears in light-hearted contexts today. Fans might say a baseball team has been “jinxed” ever since trading a player. Kids might use it when they say the same word at the same time, exclaiming “jinx!” to curse the other party with bad luck. One might describe a computer that crashes multiple times—or a person that can’t hold down a job—as “jinxed.”

The practice of labeling bad luck as a jinx is so commonplace that it’s easy to gloss over the origins of the word. So what exactly is a jinx, and when did we start jinxing one another in the first place?

What Is a Jinx?​

According to Merriam-Webster, jinx is a name for ”one that brings bad luck.” The term can also be used as a verb, describing an act that brings bad luck like a hex. In that case, the noun jinx can also refer to “the state or spell of bad luck brought on by a jinx.”

Where Did the Term Jinx Come From?​

Continued below.

Why Do We Say “Jinx”?

If you’ve ever been jinxed into owing someone a soda, you should know why.

www.mentalfloss.com

You do it to get free Cokes.

 

[RileyG]

it might be much older than that, going back to the Jinn.

Genies/jinn/djinn in Islam? or the pre-Islamic Arabic world?

I actually read about them...they're fascinating...even though I don't believe djinn/genies actually exist.

 

[johansen]

Genies/jinn/djinn in Islam? or the pre-Islamic Arabic world?

I actually read about them...they're fascinating...even though I don't believe djinn/genies actually exist.

the idea of the jinn being neutral, not good, not bad spirits, is pre islamic. nothing new under the sun.