Q: What's the difference, if any, between the meanings of the terms "jury-rigged" and "jerry-rigged"? — Alice Sinkevitch, Chicago

A: It's high time I climbed up into the rigging to untangle some linguistic knots.

Let's start with "jury-rig," which has two distinct meanings. The first is quite literal: "to influence a jury's verdict through the selection of its members or by bribing or intimidating them."

The second meaning emerged in English during the 1780s: "to devise a makeshift or temporary solution for a problem." Think reattaching the side-view mirror on a car with duct tape. (Not that anyone would ever do that.)

"Jury-rig" originated on sailing ships, where the "jury mast" was a temporary mast hastily set up to replace a broken one.

Some say the term "jury mast" is a shortening of "injury mast," because such unstable masts were notorious for collapsing and hurting sailors. But this derivation, like the jury mast itself, is a little shaky.

"Jury-rig" is sometimes mistakenly rendered as "jerry-rig," perhaps through confusion with "jerry-built," a term that first appeared during the 1880s to describe something hastily or shoddily constructed.

The origin of "jerry-built" is unclear. Some say it referred to a hapless carpenter named "Jerry" who was known for flimsy construction. Others say it derives from "gerrymander," which means to "design legislative districts for partisan reasons." (Not that anyone would ever do that.)

There's a subtle but significant distinction in meaning between "jury-rigged" and "jerry-built." Something that's "jury-rigged" has been quickly put together as an emergency solution, while something that's been "jerry-built" has been poorly constructed due to inept craftsmanship or the desire to save money.

Q: I am often confused by the word "moot." Does it mean "open to question, debatable," or the opposite — "settled, no longer subject to dispute"? - Michel, via email

A: Both! The original meaning of the adjective "moot" was "debatable, not decided, doubtful." Law students, for instance, practice arguing hypothetical cases before "moot courts."

But perhaps because of this academic usage, "moot" gradually came to mean "hypothetical, of no practical significance." And then this meaning extended even further to "decided, no longer worth arguing about."

So when people speak of a "moot point," they could be talking about a point that's debatable — or one that's already settled. Because the meaning of "moot" is ... well, moot, you should use this word with care.

Rob Kyff, a teacher and writer in West Hartford, Conn., invites your language sightings. His book, "Mark My Words," is available for $9.99 on Amazon.com. Send your reports of misuse and abuse, as well as examples of good writing, via e-mail to Wordguy@aol.com or by regular mail to Rob Kyff, Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254.

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