I have occasionally noticed that in older books (or books with an older setting)

[conuly]

referring to a person as "a jerk" doesn't always seem to mean the same thing I would mean if I said those words. For example, in The Wednesday Wars the main character complains that racing bent over would make him look "like a jerk" and my reaction was something along the lines of DOES NOT COMPUTE.

Still, language changes. What surprised me was seeing something akin to what I think of as "the older definition" in a recent work, written by somebody around my age, that is ostensibly set in the present.

Poll #20721 Jerk

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 141

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If you call somebody "a jerk", what do you mean?

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That they are a contemptibly foolish person, but I frequently hear the other definition
2 (1.4%)

That they are a contemptibly foolish person, but I am somewhat familiar with the other definition
1 (0.7%)

That they are a contemptibly foolish person, and I am not familiar with another definition
0 (0.0%)

That they are a rude, boorish, unkind person, but I frequently hear the other definition
16 (11.3%)

That they are a rude, boorish, unkind person, but I am somewhat familiar with the other definition
45 (31.9%)

That they are a rude, boorish, unkind person, and I am not familiar with any other definition
73 (51.8%)

I have another definition of this word
3 (2.1%)

I am not familiar with either definition of this word
1 (0.7%)

Comments

April's definition:

[agoodwinsmith]

They behave badly because they are not trustworthy and will rip you off, spoil your fun, make the baby cry, lie to you, shove the blame for their actions on to anyone not fast enough to get away from them, etc. Basically, they are not a murderer as far as you know, but you really wouldn't be surprised if their actions/inactions caused someone's death.