Why call a door ajar when its open a little?

Answer 1

i suppose you could call it apot but it wouldn't have the ring to it

Answer 2

I believe the word "ajar" comes from the Middle English words "on" and "char" which meant something like "a little open", so the not so Old English phrase of "the door is on char" or "the door is a little open" has become modernized to "the door is ajar".

Answer 3

According to my great gran it comes from the old days when if you wanted some milk for your morning tea when the first person woke up in the morning they opened the front door a bit and put a jar in the gap so the milk man would know to leave you some ? my G/G is 100 this year and has all her marbles and not much in the way of sense of humour so I think maybe that is a good answer but I can,t verify that cant ask any of her old mates cos most of them are long since gone !

Answer 4

Very many patronising people on here tonight. Call ajar a jar when it's open a little!

Answer 5

A door ajar essentially means it is open whether or not is open alot or a little

Answer 6

That is the definition of "ajar". Slightly open. If you prefer to call it "open a little" there is no reason why you couldn't. I prefer to call heavily intoxicated people "drunk" when others prefer "inebriated". It's preference and the beauty of language is that there are many different terms for things.

Answer 7

I call mine "ajar" even when it is quite widely open. I do prefer talking to the trees though!

Answer 8

Because saying "Ajar" Is 3 less sylables than Saying "open a little"

Answer 9

It comes from "jarred"
1. To bump or cause to move or shake from impact

It's open a little, as if it's been jarred. So it stands "ajar".

Answer 10

Just one of those quirks in the language whose history is lost. Can anyone tell why we park in a drive way? That's another one.

Answer 11

Its as open as a jar is wide.



I'm making that up.