Jay

Character conceived of by filmmaker Kevin Smith to be the drug-dealing comic foil for his alter-ego, Silent Bob. Played by actor Jason Mewes.

Jay appeared first in Clerks, then Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. He and Silent Bob also make a cameo appearance in Scream 3 and lend their voices to Clerks: The Animated Series.

According to Kevin Smith, the Jay character was basically a synthesis of a younger version of Mewes himself. Jason, who was originally straightedge and then jumped head-first into the world of drugs, alcohol, and sex, was prone to being fairly silly (screaming things like "I'll fuck anything that moves!") and lent himself quite well to be the talkative, slender accompaniment of Silent Bob.

A few notes on Jayspeak:

Throughout all of the so-called "New Jersey Trilogy" films, Jay had a particular way of speaking, utilizing peculiar words and phrases such as "snoogans" and "snoochie boochies." Smith explained that this was again an example of something he adopted from Mewes' real life.

Apparently, Jason used to be fond of using the made-up word "neh" to mean "I'm just kidding, so please don't kick my ass." For example:

"Your momma wears army boots, neh."

Smith said that as the years progressed, the word/phrase evolved. "Neh" became "nooch," (e.g. "Your momma wears army boots, nooch."). "Nooch" became "snooch," "snooch" became "snoochie boochies," and "snoochie boochies" became "snooch to the nooch."

"Your momma wears army boots, snikadikadointch."

And finally, the word shrank back down (presumably for ease of use) to simply "snoogans," which is the contemporary term of preference. Despite all its iterations, the word still means "I'm kidding" and "don't kick my ass," according to Mewes.

Jay is one of those words that is constantly used as slang in all sorts of contexts.

1. These days, jay is most often used as slang term for marijuana, or a cigarette made from marijuana. Jay Purple is slang for ketamine.

2. Jay can also mean 'to steal'.

3. Or a person who talks or gossips excessively; this may come from the bird jay (see Webster), which can be rather loud and long winded.

4. Jay is also an older slang term (I can't find when it came into popular use, but it was still used in the 1920s) for a chump, fool, or sucker.

Jay (?), n. [F. geai, OF. gai, jaj, perh. fr. OHG. gahi. Cf. Gay.] Zool.

Any one of the numerous species of birds belonging to Garrulus, Cyanocitta, and allied genera. They are allied to the crows, but are smaller, more graceful in form, often handsomely colored, and usually have a crest.

⇒ The European jay (Garrulus glandarius) is a large and handsomely colored species, having the body pale reddish brown, lighter beneath; tail and wing quills blackish; the primary coverts barred with bright blue and black; throat, tail coverts, and a large spot on the wings, white. Called also jay pie, Jenny jay, and kae. The common blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata.), and the related species, are brilliantly colored, and have a large erectile crest. The California jay (Aphelocoma Californica), the Florida jay (A. Floridana), and the green jay (Xanthoura luxuosa), of Texas and Mexico, are large, handsome, crested species. The Canada jay (Perisoreus Canadensis), and several allied species, are much plainer and have no crest. See Blue jay, and Whisky jack.

Jay thrush Zool., any one several species of Asiatic singing birds, of the genera Garrulax, Grammatoptila, and related genera of the family Crateropodidae; as; the white-throated jay thrush (G. albogularis), of India.

© Webster 1913.