Great article by the host of my favorite Podcast.
I remember hearing the “…that jerk” and mentally translating it as “dumb meanie” kind of mixing the current and archaic meaninga
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It’s funny. The Steve Martin film “The Jerk” used to confuse me because he’s an idiot, not a jerk.
Etymonline suggests “jerk” in this sense is originally carnival slang; possibly from “jerk off” but also possibly from “jerkwater” — referring to a rustic town where you have to use a manual water pump.