The verb “jab” is originally a Scottish form of “job”, an onomatopoeic word used since the 16th century to describe the pecking of birds, and then ...SkiptomaincontentAdvertisementNewsOpinionSportCultureLifestyleShowMoreShowMoreNewsCoronavirusWorldnewsUKnewsEnvironmentScienceGlobaldevelopmentFootballTechBusinessObituariesOpinionTheGuardianviewColumnistsCartoonsOpinionvideosLettersSportEuro2020FootballCricketRugbyunionTennisCyclingF1GolfUSsportsCultureBooksMusicTV&radioArt&designFilmGamesClassicalStageLifestyleFashionFoodRecipesLove&sexHealth&fitnessHome&gardenWomenMenFamilyTravelMoneyMakeacontributionSubscribeSearchjobsHolidaysDigitalArchiveGuardianPuzzlesappTheGuardianappVideoPodcastsPicturesNewslettersToday'spaperInsidetheGuardianTheObserverGuardianWeeklyCrosswordsSearchjobsHolidaysDigitalArchiveGuardianPuzzlesappEuro2020FootballCricketRugbyunionTennisCyclingF1GolfBoxingRugbyleagueRacingUSsportsStevenPoole'swordoftheweekVaccinesandimmunisationWhydowecallvaccinations'jabs'?Tounderstandwhy,wehavetogobackto16thcenturyScots‘Jabhim,ifyoucan,withyourleft,’advisesa1901boxingmanual.Photograph:GavinEllis/TGSPHOTO/REX/Shutterstock‘Jabhim,ifyoucan,withyourleft,’advisesa1901boxingmanual.Photograph:GavinEllis/TGSPHOTO/REX/ShutterstockStevenPooleThu4Feb202115.00GMTLastmodifiedonThu4Feb202115.54GMTWhileweareallwaitingforourjabs,wemightwonderwhythegovernmentissokeenoncallinganyCovid-19vaccinea“jab”inthefirstplace.Theusageseemsatoncechummyandinfantilising,butwhydoesitmean“injection”anyway?Theverb“jab”isoriginallyaScottishformof“job”,anonomatopoeicwordusedsincethe16thcenturytodescribethepeckingofbirds,andthenforanypokingorthrustingaction.(Romantically,“tojobfaces”withanothermeanttokissthemardently.)Hencealsotheuseof“jab”tomeanaboxer’sstraightpunchwiththenon-dominanthand.(“Jabhim,ifyoucan,withyourleft,”advisesa1901manualofself-defencebytheBritishboxingchampionRobertJames“Bob”Fitzsimmons.)Theadditionalsenseofmockeryorraillery(asin“verbaljabs”)isinspiredbythismartialcontext.Themedical