General
jimmies
What does jimmies mean?
What the rest of America calls sprinkles. In New England (especially Boston), 'jimmies' specifically refers to the chocolate ones; the rainbow ones are just 'sprinkles'. Order an ice cream at a Boston shop and you'll be asked which you want.
"Vanilla soft-serve with jimmies, please."
Origin
Disputed. Often credited to the Just Born candy company (1930s) naming them after an employee Jimmy Bartholomew, though that's contested. The Brigham's ice cream chain helped cement the term across New England.
Frequently asked questions
What are jimmies?
In New England, jimmies are chocolate sprinkles — the kind you put on ice cream.
How do you use jimmies in a sentence?
"I'll have a vanilla cone with jimmies, please."
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