What does 'Jack' mean as a drink in American English?
Joey Introduces Alex To Her New Best Friend
A2 English listening practice · American English · Picked for people who know a little
Jack is the everyday American nickname for Jack Daniel’s whiskey, the Tennessee black-label bottle most U.S. bars stock. Pour me a Jack, Jack and Coke, I’ll take a Jack on the rocks: the brand name gets cut to one syllable. Americans do the same with other drinks: Bud for Budweiser, Coors for a Coors Light.
In this clip, Joey hands a friend a Jack Daniel’s bottle as a fake gift. He says: « I know what it’s like to hurt. And when I hurt, I need a friend. [...] Alex, meet Jack », then: « Joey’s a great guy, but Jack, he’ll love you forever ». The joke is that Jack isn’t a person, it’s the drink.
How common are the words?
How common are the words in this A2 English listening practice video?
How common in written English
How common in spoken English
Source: wordfreq 3.1.1 (general) · SUBTLEX-US 2012 (spoken). These numbers are close, not perfect.
- ▸At American bars and liquor stores, where you can order Jack and Coke on every bar menu, and at the historic Jack Daniel’s distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee
- ▸In American TV shows and movies like Mad Men on AMC and Yellowstone on Paramount Network where characters pour a Jack during hard scenes
- ▸In American country music by Eric Church, Toby Keith, and Garth Brooks, featured on Country Music Television, where Jack is a regular drinking buddy on the lyric sheet
- ▸In American sports-bar talk over NFL and NBA games where friends order another round of Jack