What is the story behind the word jerk?

Answer 1

Initially, the word referred to "soda jerks." When soft drinks first came out, they were available in drug stores and had to be mixed. So the person who attended to the soda fountains and did other light, unskilled tasks were called soda jerks, since they had to jerk the handle on the dispenser. Being unskilled labor, it was ideal for teenagers. Teenagers can be rude and obnoxious, and before long, the soda jerks got a bad reputation. Their job description became synonymous with their attitudes and sharp tongues. So to call someone a jerk meant you were equating them with the rude teenagers who dispensed soft drinks and served light snacks at the local pharmacies and cafes. Then as that era passed, the word jerk no longer referred to someone working a soda counter, but to anyone who was rude, obnoxious, smart-mouthed, immature, etc.