Jerry-Built and Jury-Rigged :


Although their etymologies are obscure and their meanings overlap, these are two distinct expressions. Something poorly built is “jerry-built.”


Something rigged up temporarily in a makeshift manner with materials at hand, often in an ingenious manner, is “jury-rigged.”


“Jerry-built” always has a negative connotation, whereas one can be impressed by the cleverness of a jury-rigged solution.


Many people cross-pollinate these two expressions and mistakenly say “jerry-rigged” or “jury-built.”