This word comes from World War I, when the British military were issued fuel cans made of poor quality tin. The Germans were issued fuel cans made of pressed steel (far superior to the British equipment). When the German fuel cans were found in captured trenches, the British first used the captured equipment, then began producing copies. 'Jerry' was a popular term for 'German' at the time, and the fuel cans became known as 'jerrycans'. Today, 'jerrycan' refers to any metal fuel can.

JERRYCAN IS ALL SO A TERM IN THE NORTH OF THE UK FOR A STREET DRUNK whats in the brown bag a jerry can jerry can noun {C} a large metal container with flat sides used for storing or carrying liquids such as fuel or water

The requirement for a robust, reusable, petrol tin for military use arose in the 1930s to support the new German thinking of fast attack and advance operations (Blitz kreig = Lightning war) and the sturdy, reusable can was devised. Designed to withstand rough use (sides with impressed strengthening ribs and constructed from heavy gauge steel) and incorporating numerous innovative ideas (triple handles; an attached overcentre locking lid; a recessed welded seam; a 'shoulder' to trap enough air to make a full can float; an internal air pipe for 'glug-free' pouring; etc). Thus the first realy tough, easily portable and reusable petrol container was born. (Incidentally, despite the rumours, there is no evidence that the Italians had anything to do with the design, although they were the first non-German forces to make use of them). The first recorded cans (German) are dated 1937 but, until 1942, the Allies were unaware of the can as they had always been retreating before the Axis advances. In North Africa, however, the tables were turned (with the help of US Lend-Lease equipment/vehicles/tanks) and, for the first time, the Allies overran the Axis and captured vast quantities of troops and equipment, including their revolutionary petrol cans. This first one found, once fully appreciated, was flown back to the UK, as high priority cargo in an RAF de Havilland Mosquito, to the Morris Motors/Pressed Steel Company's airfield at Cowley, near Oxford. It was immediately X-rayed, then dismantled, plans of it drawn and, within 48 hours, it was in full production at Cowley - identical, apart from the WD (War Department) markings. It's importance was so great that any delay was unthinkable. Until then, the British & Commonwealth troops were still using the militarily useless 2 gallon can (known as "flimsies", because their soldered seams split so easily), which had been designed for the dainty running boards of the 1920s civilian cars !! Even the idea of the year of manufacture and the makers initials, and sometimes a logo, were continued from the German design. The first German cans were made by Ambi-Budd Pressewerke in Berlin, so were marked ABP. The first British ones were marked PSC (for Pressed Steel Company, who in peacetime specialised in car bodies and supplied, amongst others, Morris Motors next door and MG in Abingdon, just 8 miles down the road. During the war car body production was halted and switched to war work including building, and repairing, aircraft). There is no question that the original design was hard to improve upon, but there was one minor change : the first German cans had a plain diagonal cross impressed in the sides, but this was soon changed to the offset cross with the central vertical rectangle, which continues unchanged to this day, almost 70 years later !! (The French Army, of course, have a half size (10 litre) version, marked 'Vin' !!) Under the Lease-Lend arrangements, a can was also sent immediately to the US for evaluation. The Quartermaster Corps redesigned it for mass production (the original recessed seam was hand welded and therefore labour intensive), resulting in the body being made from 3 pieces instead of 2, but retaining the 3 handles and, originally, the over-centre catch for the filler/spout. Very quickly, the filler was changed to the large screw top, attached by a chain, although the water cans, with internal enamelling, retained an enlarged version of the German over centre catch for the filler. The original straight diagonal cross impressed in the sides was also retained. The resulting cans were actually slightly less robust than the German original, but mass production was the watchword at the time. The name - Jerrycan - arose from the nick-name for the Germans, Gerry or Jerry (to match the Yank, Tommy, Canuck and Oz), because the can was exactly that .... a German can, and a revolutionary can at that. The name is simply an acknowledgement of its origin .... and a compliment ! FJS (Finskin)