Dictionary

jack-in-the-box en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (General-American) audio

Meanings

1. Children’s toy consisting of a small box from which a male figure pops out unexpectedly after some turnings of a crank.
   • “There’s this terrible business to start with. Scotland Yard men in and out of the house like a jack-in-the-box! Never know where they won’t turn up next.” 1920, Agatha Christie, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, London: Pan Books, published 1954, page 126:
   • "Did you venture to call me a liar?" ("No, sir, no!" shouted the accused, and disappeared like a Jack-in-the-box.) 1912, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost World […], London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC:
   • Normally, you ring a bell and you have at least a half-minute wait before the door opens. But this person was like a jack-in-the-box. He pressed the bell—and out she popped! It made him jump. 1959 November 20, Roald Dahl, "The Landlady", archived from the original on 19 Mar 2023:
2. (historical) A small but powerful kind of screw, used by burglars to break open safes.
   • It was possible, from underneath, to use the old jack-in-the-box safe-breaker's tool which lay in his gasman's bag. 2013, Donald Thomas, The Secret Cases of Sherlock Holmes:
3. (obsolete) A con-man who deceived tradesmen by substituting empty boxes for others full of money.

Forms

Deriveds

jack-in-the-box effect

Relateds

Jack o’ the clock

Translations (16)

es caja de sorpresa (child’s toy) · de Springteufel (child’s toy) · sv gubben i lådan (child’s toy) · cmn 惊吓盒 (child’s toy) · ka ყუთი გამომხტომი ფიგურით (child’s toy) · de Schachtelteufel (child’s toy) · fi vieteriukko (child’s toy) · ru чёрт из табаке́рки (child’s toy) · ru чёртик из коро́бочки (child’s toy) · ar عِفْرِيتُ الْعُلْبَةِ (child’s toy) · ja びっくり箱 (child’s toy) · cy jac-yn-y-bocs (child’s toy) · fr diable en boîte (child’s toy) · cmn 玩偶匣 (child’s toy) · es caja sorpresa de jack (child’s toy) · da trold i æske (child’s toy)

wikipedia: Young V&A