Last man Jack
Last man Jack (sometimes referred to as every man Jack) is a euphemism that has crossed into mainstream English from the sport of cricket.
The term has come to mean "every single person", as in the following example:
:"They all agreed, every last man jack of them, that they had never come across anyone like Ripley"
The term originates from a cricket pun. In the cricket batting order, the worst batsman is listed at number 11. The "last man" (to bat) can therefore be referred to using playing cards terminology; following numbers 8, 9 and 10 comes "Jack".
Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book contains a character known only as "the man Jack," a name taken from this expression.
The term has come to mean "every single person", as in the following example:
:"They all agreed, every last man jack of them, that they had never come across anyone like Ripley"
The term originates from a cricket pun. In the cricket batting order, the worst batsman is listed at number 11. The "last man" (to bat) can therefore be referred to using playing cards terminology; following numbers 8, 9 and 10 comes "Jack".
Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book contains a character known only as "the man Jack," a name taken from this expression.
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