It was initially popular in the US but was used in the British Observer and Times by 19. Indeed, the cartoon’s creator Arthur Momand acknowledged that it came out of his family’s experience of living beyond their means and eventually realising that their neighbours were doing the same.Īccording to the Oxford English Dictionary, the phrase ‘keep up with’ in the sense of ‘proceed at an equal pace with’ goes all the way back to 1633 – but the addition of the name ‘Jones’ came with the comic strip’s debut in 1913. The Worlds Premier Online Comic Marketplace & Auctioneer SIGN IN REGISTER SOLD ON Wednesday, 8:00 PM PUBLISHER: Cupples & Leon ComicConnect. Others have attributed the phrase’s success to the materialism of the 20th century and the fact that appearances seemed to be what mattered – the ‘right’ car, holiday, school etc ( Spilling the Beans on the Cat’s Pyjamas, Judy Parkinson).
This example on Flickr demonstrates the technique.Īs Oxford’s Dictionary of English Idioms explains, ‘Jones’ is a very common surname so its use in the phrase represents generic neighbours or social equals. The cartoon showed the McGinis family’s attempts to emulate their affluent neighbours, the Joneses. The phrase was popularised by a newspaper comic strip in the early 20th century, ‘Keeping up with the Joneses – by Pop’ in the New York Globe. It’s neatly summarised by the Flavells in their Dictionary of Idioms and their Origins: ‘To endeavour to keep up financially and socially with one’s friends and neighbours’.
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