The word “Jeep” was coined by Popeye’s creator, E.C. Segar. Popeye had a strange little “jungle pet” named Eugene the Jeep that could apparently pop in and out of dimensions and solve any problem with his special abilities.
The word “Jeep” first showed up in the Popeye comics in 1936; the American military started using the phrase “Jeep wagons” two years later. It’s suggested that soldiers started calling the military vehicle such because, like Eugene the Jeep, it was able to show up in seemingly impossible situations because of how versatile it was.
The word “goon” also appeared for the first time ever in a Popeye strip.
Or, it comes from the pronunciation of the initials given the Jeep: General Purpose Vehicle, or G.P. for short. G.P. then became Jeep.
Darn. Nando beat me to it. Nando, that’s what I’ve read as well.
I had always heard the G. P. story as well.
I had heard that story before too, but had forgotten it until you guys mentioned it.
It’s also a military term for an enlisted man reporting at his first duty station (after boot camp). You would be assigned an escort (usually from the same squadron and job field) who would show you around (PX, post office, chow hall, etc) and answer any questions until you got settled in. The new guy was a “Jeep” (tag-along).
Jeep is actually a racist word for odd looking vehicles 😛
“Look at that Jeep driving on the same road as we are, always dirty and leaving mud tracks, they should have their own driving lanes and segregated parking lots!”
That is the beauty of it. No one knows for sure. If you see someone who “knows”, take it with a grain of salt. Both are credible but both are not official either.