[X4U] Jonesing

[Linda]

So some of you have written both on and offlist, claiming sources that link
"jonesing" to heroin. That's fine. I like the evolution I read once upon a
time, from Bill Bryson, another well-known and esteemed etymologist, better.
Que sera, sera.

Perhaps "Keeping up with the Joneses" also evolved from the heroin
terminology? He doesn't say. I would argue that there's a physiological
reaction to heroin addiction, and that's not true of jonesing for an iMac, a
car, a milkshake, or anything I've heard "jonesing" used in reference to.
Addiction is an actual illness. Wanting what someone else has, is not...

At any rate, I'm happy with the drugless etymological explanation, and as
long as I have Bryson's book in my personal library, we'll just have to
agree that there is disagreement in the world as to the etymology of
"jonesing". :-)

~Linda