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Jig vs Zig - What's the difference?

jig | zig |

As nouns the difference between jig and zig

is that jig is a light, brisk musical movement; a gigue while zig is a sudden or sharp turn or change of direction.

As verbs the difference between jig and zig

is that jig is to move briskly, especially as a dance while zig is to make such a turn.

jig

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • (music) A light, brisk musical movement; a gigue.
  • A lively dance in 6/8 (double jig), 9/8 (slip jig) or 12/8 (single jig) time; a tune suitable for such a dance. By extension, a lively traditional tune in any of these time signatures. Unqualified, the term is usually taken to refer to a double (6/8) jig.
    • they danced a jig
  • * 2012 , Tom Lamont, How Mumford & Sons became the biggest band in the world'' (in ''The Daily Telegraph , 15 November 2012)[http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/nov/15/mumford-sons-biggest-band-world]
    • Soon Marshall is doing an elaborate foot-to-foot jig , and then they're all bounding around. Shoulder dips. Yee-ha faces. It's an impromptu hoedown.
  • A dance performed by one or sometimes two individual dancers, as opposed to a dance performed by a set or team.
  • (fishing) A type of lure consisting of a hook molded into a weight, usually with a bright or colorful body.
  • A device in manufacturing, woodworking, or other creative endeavors for controlling the location, path of movement, or both of either a workpiece or the tool that is operating upon it. Subsets of this general class include machining jigs, woodworking jigs, welders' jigs, jewelers' jigs, and many others.
    • Cutting circles out of pinewood is best done with a compass-style jig .
  • (mining) An apparatus or machine for jigging ore.
  • (obsolete) A light, humorous piece of writing, especially in rhyme; a farce in verse; a ballad.
  • * (rfdate) Beaumont and Fletcher
    • A jig shall be clapped at, and every rhyme / Praised and applauded.
  • (obsolete) A trick; a prank.
  • * (rfdate) Beaumont and Fletcher
    • Is't not a fine jig , / A precious cunning, in the late Protector?

    Derived terms

    * the jig is up * dance the hempen jig

    Verb

  • To move briskly, especially as a dance.
    • The guests were jigging around on the dancefloor
  • (fishing) To fish with a jig.
  • To sing to the tune of a jig.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Jig off a tune at the tongue's end.
  • To trick or cheat; to cajole; to delude.
    • (Ford)
  • (mining) To sort or separate, as ore in a jigger or sieve.
  • To cut or form, as a piece of metal, in a jigging machine.

    • zig

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A sudden or sharp turn or change of direction.

    • Verb

  • To make such a turn.

    • Derived terms

    *zig when one should zag

    See also

    *zigzag ----