I have stated before my reasons for being skeptical of the belief that the noun "jerk," used to describe a person, is related to the practice of "jerking off," that is, masturbating, as some people have speculated. See a previous post of mine on the subject at
http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=vhfaq28redp84d%40corp.supernews.com&oe=UTF-8&output=gplainor
http://tinyurl.com/yr56lThe following is from the *Chambers Dictionary of Etymology,* edited by Robert K. Barnhart, New York: Chambers, (C)1988.
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**** n. slang. stupid, dull, or ineffectual person. 1935, American English Slang, in A.J. Pollock's Underworld Speaks; perhaps from earlier jerk, adj., insignificant, inferior (1890's, as in a jerk town, short for jerkwater, 1897, in reference to a steam train or branch line that serves small towns where a locomotive had to jerk water from streams or a water tower to fill its tender.)
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Raymond S. Wise
Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
E-mail: mplsray @ yahoo . com