Jerry Rigging

I first encountered the term “jerry rigging” on Reddit. It’s a new word for me, and I was curious about its origins. I’m familiar with the similar concept of [[Jugaad]], so this term resonated with me.

Jerry rigging means to make a makeshift repair or construct something quickly using only the materials at hand, often resulting in a crude or improvised structure. It is widely used in everyday speech.

Etymology

The term “jerry rigging” is a blend or variant of two separate, older expressions:

Jury-rigged: This is the original nautical term, dating back to the late 18th century, where “jury” meant “makeshift” or “temporary”. A “jury mast,” for example, was a temporary replacement mast put up after the original was lost in an emergency. This term emphasizes clever, temporary improvisation with limited materials to restore function.

Jerry-built: This term, from the 19th century, describes something that is cheaply and flimsily built using poor materials. It implies a lack of quality and care in construction, not necessarily a temporary fix.

Example: Thallumala Theater Fight Scene

How they shot the theater fight scene in the movie “Thallumala” is a perfect example of jerry rigging. The filmmakers used makeshift solutions and improvised techniques with available materials to achieve the desired cinematic effect. The making video demonstrates the creative workarounds they employed.

Related Concepts

• [[Jugaad]] - Hindi term for innovative, resourceful problem-solving with limited resources
• [[Kludge]] - Workaround or makeshift solution that is clumsy but rapidly solves a problem

Sources

• Wikipedia - Kludge - Related term with similar meaning
• Thallumala - Theater Fight Scene Making Video - Example of jerry rigging in filmmaking