The meaning of Jeep

MutantNinjaTJ

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So my wife asks me if I know what JEEP stands for, so I'm thinking she's going to make some snarky comment on how much I spend on the TJ. "You know it means Just Empty Each Pocket" She says no it came from the acronym for the WW2 machine we call the Jeep and shows me a picture of a "Flat Packed" un-assembled Jeep in a crate with the words stenciled on it "Just Enough Essential Parts" Now you know the rest of the story!
 
It made her day! And mine too, to find out she's looking at Jeep Prorn made me smile!
Hell yeah, that is a very healthy sign to your Jeep-Wife relationship my friend! My wife was aloof about my Jeeps at first and now she loves them. I can’t seem to ever drive my JK in the summer once the top comes off. That garage space always seems to be empty when I step into the garage, LOL.
 
So my wife asks me if I know what JEEP stands for, so I'm thinking she's going to make some snarky comment on how much I spend on the TJ. "You know it means Just Empty Each Pocket" She says no it came from the acronym for the WW2 machine we call the Jeep and shows me a picture of a "Flat Packed" un-assembled Jeep in a crate with the words stenciled on it "Just Enough Essential Parts" Now you know the rest of the story!
Got a pic?
 
Ok, so, a little research and it seems that there is no clear answer as to the origin of Jeep.

Theory 1: Invented by the author of Popeye, who with Olive Oyl, also invented a character named Eugene who is half dog and half cat with a bulbous nose that could magically "go anywhere" and the only words muttered were, "Jeep!" That could fit if one stretched...mentioned in Merriam Webster's dictionary.

Theory 2: (mentioned above) GP is phonetically similar to Jeep, and means "general purpose, "so that is where it came from. However, the G in military designation referred to "Government" and the P was a designation of a recon vehicle with less than 80" wheelbase. Good try...

Theory 3: (mentioned by OP's wife) 😉. Stands for Just Every Essential Part, referring to the rudimentary nature of these vehicles. True, but most unlikely theory so far...

Theory 4: Jeep was a term used of untested equipment and soldiers before the first Jeep was ever built. Somehow this designation stuck with the Jeep when it was first introduced as untested equipment. Better than the others...

At any rate, the term jeep was already in use before the 1940's and no one really knows how it got attached to our rigs.

https://www.cjponyparts.com/resources/jeep-name-origins
Merriam-Webster, Inc. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2003.
 
Ok, so, a little research and it seems that there is no clear answer as to the origin of Jeep.

Theory 1: Invented by the author of Popeye, who with Olive Oyl, also invented a character named Eugene who is half dog and half cat with a bulbous nose that could magically "go anywhere" and the only words muttered were, "Jeep!" That could fit if one stretched...mentioned in Merriam Webster's dictionary.

Theory 2: (mentioned above) GP is phonetically similar to Jeep, and means "general purpose, "so that is where it came from. However, the G in military designation referred to "Government" and the P was a designation of a recon vehicle with less than 80" wheelbase. Good try...

Theory 3: (mentioned by OP's wife) 😉. Stands for Just Every Essential Part, referring to the rudimentary nature of these vehicles. True, but most unlikely theory so far...

Theory 4: Jeep was a term used of untested equipment and soldiers before the first Jeep was ever built. Somehow this designation stuck with the Jeep when it was first introduced as untested equipment. Better than the others...

At any rate, the term jeep was already in use before the 1940's and no one really knows how it got attached to our rigs.

https://www.cjponyparts.com/resources/jeep-name-origins
Merriam-Webster, Inc. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2003.
So it looks like @JMT has a bit of time on his hands. What no mods to install or things to fix on the honeydo list?

Seriously though thanks for the post. I had heard of a couple of them but not "the rest of the story"
 
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Ok, so, a little research and it seems that there is no clear answer as to the origin of Jeep.

Theory 1: Invented by the author of Popeye, who with Olive Oyl, also invented a character named Eugene who is half dog and half cat with a bulbous nose that could magically "go anywhere" and the only words muttered were, "Jeep!" That could fit if one stretched...mentioned in Merriam Webster's dictionary.

Theory 2: (mentioned above) GP is phonetically similar to Jeep, and means "general purpose, "so that is where it came from. However, the G in military designation referred to "Government" and the P was a designation of a recon vehicle with less than 80" wheelbase. Good try...

Theory 3: (mentioned by OP's wife) 😉. Stands for Just Every Essential Part, referring to the rudimentary nature of these vehicles. True, but most unlikely theory so far...

Theory 4: Jeep was a term used of untested equipment and soldiers before the first Jeep was ever built. Somehow this designation stuck with the Jeep when it was first introduced as untested equipment. Better than the others...

At any rate, the term jeep was already in use before the 1940's and no one really knows how it got attached to our rigs.

https://www.cjponyparts.com/resources/jeep-name-origins
Merriam-Webster, Inc. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2003.

It's "theory 2" in France :D
 
Ok, so, a little research and it seems that there is no clear answer as to the origin of Jeep. . . .

Theory 2: (mentioned above) GP is phonetically similar to Jeep, and means "general purpose, "so that is where it came from. However, the G in military designation referred to "Government" and the P was a designation of a recon vehicle with less than 80" wheelbase. Good try....

The 1941-45 Willys MB/Ford GPW (same thing, different manufacturer) did have a wheelbase of 80".

Notice the "GP" in Ford "GPW?"

This is what the acronym stood for:

G = Government. It was a Government contract.
P = Passenger. The vehicle met the specifications for a reconnaissance car with 80" wheelbase
W = Willys. It was the Willys design.

For confirmation, the Ford Motor Company manual "SERVICE SCHOOL FOR U. S. ARMY INSTRUCTORS ON FORD U.S. ARMY VEHICLES " dated 1941 lists the "G" as designating "Government units regardless of year" and "P" designating "80 inch W/B Reconnaissance Car".

FordGP2.jpg

FordGP5.jpg

FordGP5a.jpg


So there you have it, the G and P in GPW are not an acronym for "General Purpose" as is often incorrectly asserted.

See: Ray Cowdery, How the Jeep Got its Name, https://www.usmbooks.com/jeep_name.html
 
I have the answer to the origin of the Jeep name.

Funny enough, i was there when it was monikered.

You see, i just finished charging a nazi machine gun nest at high tide. As i got to the bunker, all of my ammo must of washed away, including my explosive arrows!

But my squad leader thought fast, and said, "hey, get in that vehicle and run them naazis over!"

At that very moment, a band of gypsy warloads were trying to steal the vehicle. I ran over there and screamed, " Git out of here ya dang Gyps!" But as i yelled, i took a direct hit from a nazi mortar round, and ended up sayin "jeeps" instead of "Gyps".

Anywho... the name Jeep stuck from that day on.
 
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I read long ago that the term "Jeep" was a world war one slang word that was applied to any new and odd motorized military machine tested at Aberdiene Proving Grounds everything from tractors to trucks and airplanes. Even in WWII the term was applied to more than just the Willy's MBs and Ford GPWs. Some of the Dodge Power wagons were called jeeps too. I guess it just fit the Willy's and Ford better so it stuck. I don't think it will ever be known for sure, but the name does fit the small 4x4 perfectly.
 
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And following that, are the JKU, JLU, and D/C JT not Jeeps? jajaja
The chances of me buying one is slim to none.
 
Ok, so, a little research and it seems that there is no clear answer as to the origin of Jeep.

Theory 1: Invented by the author of Popeye, who with Olive Oyl, also invented a character named Eugene who is half dog and half cat with a bulbous nose that could magically "go anywhere" and the only words muttered were, "Jeep!" That could fit if one stretched...mentioned in Merriam Webster's dictionary.

Theory 2: (mentioned above) GP is phonetically similar to Jeep, and means "general purpose, "so that is where it came from. However, the G in military designation referred to "Government" and the P was a designation of a recon vehicle with less than 80" wheelbase. Good try...

Theory 3: (mentioned by OP's wife) 😉. Stands for Just Every Essential Part, referring to the rudimentary nature of these vehicles. True, but most unlikely theory so far...

Theory 4: Jeep was a term used of untested equipment and soldiers before the first Jeep was ever built. Somehow this designation stuck with the Jeep when it was first introduced as untested equipment. Better than the others...

At any rate, the term jeep was already in use before the 1940's and no one really knows how it got attached to our rigs.

https://www.cjponyparts.com/resources/jeep-name-origins
Merriam-Webster, Inc. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2003.
I saw the GP explanation on a WWII series on the Smithsonian Channel....and they never lie....
 
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You should never have to tie your girlfriend into your jeep, if she doesn’t want to rock crawl let her watch. I’m pretty sure it’s illegal in every state.