Why Choose Jack the Ripper As A Name

[Bridewell]

Interesting

When Polly Nichols was murdered, a 'High Rip Gang' was suspected first, that blackmailed and killed prostitutes. So the term 'to rip' was connected already to brutal murders, especially of prostitutes.

As the newspapers wrote about it, it became widely known.

I hadn't considered the High Rip Gang. I wonder what they called themselves individually. "I'm a member of the High Rip Gang, give us your money" would be a mouthful. Pure hypothesis, but, "My name's Jack. I'm a Ripper" in the same context?

[K-453]

By the way, if you think, Aussie slang is weird, here is a German example: "jemanden aufreißen", literally "to rip someone open", means to chat up someone of the opposite gender with the intention to have sex with them. It is more often used for male -> female action than the other way round.

I wonder if that was influenced by the Whitechapel murders?

[Steven Russell]

When Polly Nichols was murdered, a 'High Rip Gang' was suspected first, that blackmailed and killed prostitutes. So the term 'to rip' was connected already to brutal murders, especially of prostitutes.

As the newspapers wrote about it, it became widely known.

I have read that The Hoxton High Rips were suspected of the Emma Smith murder - the must brutal of the lot in my view.

Best wishes,
Steve.

[Bridewell]

Aufreissen

By the way, if you think, Aussie slang is weird, here is a German example: "jemanden aufreißen", literally "to rip someone open", means to chat up someone of the opposite gender with the intention to have sex with them. It is more often used for male -> female action than the other way round.

I wonder if that was influenced by the Whitechapel murders?

That seems weird. I could understand it if it was "aufreizen" as that translates as "incite, excite or stir up". You could well be right with the Whitechapel allusion.

[DVV]

I remember Supe saying (ages ago, and replying to a similar question) that it sounded better than "Cedric the Ripper"....

And that's true !

[Rubyretro]

[QUOTE=K-453;198240]By the way, if you think, Aussie slang is weird,

here is a German example: "jemanden aufreißen", literally "to rip someone open", means to chat up someone of the opposite gender with the intention to have sex with them. It is more often used for male -> female action than the other way round.

Blimey -that is very interesting but totally revolting...

[GUT]

G'Day

I will say this WHOEVER came up with the name would have one heck of a career in advertising as we still use the name 125 years latter.

Clever chap Huh!

GUT

[JTRSickert]

G'Day

I will say this WHOEVER came up with the name would have one heck of a career in advertising as we still use the name 125 years latter.

Clever chap Huh!

GUT

Hi GUT,

I was wondering if, in your opinion, who seems a more likely candidate for writing the Dear Boss letter. Tom Bulling, or another reporter named Best?

My money is on Bulling

[GUT]

G'Day JTR

There is, in my opinion, nowhere near enough evidence to hang t on either 125 years later with so much not known, but the fact that the police suspected Bulling must make him 1st on any list.

[GUT]

It always puzzles me that the same people that pump for Bulling, [elevating him to an almost certainty] based on police opinion, reject, almost out of hand the suspects the same police supported!

[Beowulf]

The name Jack the Ripper is incredibly intriguing and was a genius stroke of the pen by someone in the press. I've read they have a suspicion of who but I do not remember who it was they thought came up with it.

Till I came here I did not really understand the 'Ripper' part of the name. I didn't give it any thought either. I always thought of him more in the way of an unknown bizarre murderer who used a knife to cut and slash for mysterious reasons.

I don't know but it seems here in the U.S. the word 'Ripper' is not used, to my knowledge, ever, for this kind of, how would you say, description of crime behavior?

Is it more of an English description word still used even today? Or is it a word from bygone Victorian times, England? I've even wondered if it was a local to London kind of expression. I've never heard it used here for any kind of knife murders.

At any rate, can't ever get enough of this Victorian London fogtime guy with the knife. Very interesting, and even if I ever found out who he was I should think I may still find it interesting...from the safe vantage point of 120 years later, in another town, another country, another continent...

[Paddy]

Ripping

Like Ripping yarns or a ripping good story? I believe it was used to mean thrilling.

Pat......................

[GUT]

G'Day Pat

I always took it to mean he ripped them open, with his trusty [but doubt rusty] little blade.

[Barrister]

What about the reference on this site, under the Timeline, that on Sept. 30 the Swedish Church Parish register referred to the killing of Liz Stride and suggested the murder may have been done by Jack the Ripper? I would like to know the source of that statement. As for "Ripper," I always assumed, which I acknowledge to be a mistake, that the word referred to the means by which Jack pulled the skin apart and extracted organs. To me, there seems to be a particular savagery in referring to the infliction of these wounds as "ripping."

[GUT]

G'Day Barrister

If you look at the actual entries they appear to be if not in different hands, to have been entered at different times, at least to my eye. [I don't have them in front of me as I type]. And I think the explanation is that the "Killed by Jack The Ripper" was added later.

If I'm wrong what it shows was that the name was already in use pre the "Dear Boss" letter, if that's the case it makes the writer less clever.