jerry-built

jerry built

Shoddily constructed. Hyphenated if used before a noun. The origin of the term is unknown. You could tell house was jerry built. It looked like it would blow over in a strong wind! Yeah, you didn't fool Mom for a second with that jerry-built story you concocted.
See also: built, Jerry
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

jerry-built

mod. carelessly and awkwardly built. The lawyer’s case was jerry-built, but the jury bought it anyway.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
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