Who was Jack Robinson

Read about Rudyard Kipling and find out when Kipling lived.

1. Kipling lived from ________ to __________

These days there is a world famous Liverpool football payer called Jack Robinson. Read more about him here: Who is Jack Robinson? He is a very quick player. Based on the dates in the article, decide if the Liverpudlian Jack Robinson can be the origin of the phrase used in Kipling's writing. 

2. Do you think that this Jack Robinson might be the source for the expression? yes/no Explain.

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As it turn out, "Jack Robinson" is apparently a very athletic name. The first black baseball player who integrated American Major League was also called Jack Robinson. And he could hit a ball before one could say his name so maybe he is the source? Read about this Jack Robinson here. (Click on "Look Inside" to read part of the book). Compare the dates with when Kipling lived. 

3. Can this black Jack Robinson be the source? Why/ Why not? _____________________________________________________________

Maybe Kipling invented the expression? Let's try to find out the first time this expression was used.

An expert on the origins of words is Michael Quinion who created the "World Wide Words" website, a wonderful site for all words lovers. In one of his comments he mentions our expression and gives an approximate date for its origin. Look at the last paragraph of his article: "A Note on Grog". 

4. When does Quinon say the phrase was first used? ____________________

5 Taking this into account, could it be that Kipling invented the phrase? Explain. ________________________________________________________

But we still do not know who this Jack Robinson is. 

Our next stop is the Bibliomania site. Which has a special reference page. One of the references offered is the Brewer's Phrase and Fable which gives us  a possible answer to our question. (Scroll down on that page until you find our phrase.) 

6. According to this source, was Jack Robinson an athlete? yes/  no. If not, what did you learn about Jack? _________________________________________

The Brewer's explanation is rather vague. Maybe we should find the origin in another language? Look at "The Wisdom of Many", a book on proverbs. 

7. What does page 7 say about the origin of the phrase "Before you can say Jack Robinson"? ___________________________________________________________

8. How does this book connect the phrase with the circus?

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So who was this Jack Robinson really? Was it a man paying flying visits to his neighbors, or just an easy name to pronounce or a desperate cry for an umbrella? I'll leave it to you to decide which explanation is most plausible. But one thing is certain: Doing research on the Internet is very easy and will get you answers before you can say Jack Robinson!

9. Find at least three other websites that discuss the origin of this phrase and write a short paragraph (between 50-60 words) about which explanation you find most plausible and why.