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Jury Rigging

Making improvised repairs using whatever tools and materials are available. The fix works, but it's not pretty — and it was never meant to be permanent.

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Origin

The term derives from the nautical "jury mast" — a makeshift replacement rigged after a ship lost its mast at sea. "Jury" in this sense dates to at least 1616, when Captain John Smith used it in A Description of New England. The word's origin is uncertain; it may come from the Old French ajurie ("help, relief") or be a corruption of joury ("for the day"), implying a temporary fix.

Updated February 22, 2026