jerry-rigged

The term "jerry-rigged" is a 20th-century American folk etymology, blending two older phrases: "jury-rigged" and "jerry-built." "Jury-rigged" originates from nautical jargon, where "jury" (likely from Old French ajurie, meaning "aid") described a temporary mast or sail rigged for emergency use. "Jerry-built," from the mid-19th century, contemptuously described flimsy, cheap construction, possibly referencing the name "Jerry." Over time, the more familiar name "Jerry" was substituted for the obscure "jury," creating the hybrid "jerry-rigged." The modern meaning retains the core idea of a makeshift, temporary solution assembled with available resources, combining the improvisation of "jury-rig" with the shoddiness implied by "jerry-built."

This is a compound adjective formed from the informal personal name "Jerry" and the past participle of the verb "rig." It is not productively formed from classical morphemes. "Jerry" is an English personal name, and "rigged" is from Middle English riggen, of Scandinavian origin, meaning to fit out or equip.