Jem

• Obscure form of the word "gem," which as a noun means a precious stone and as a verb means "to put forth buds" or "to adorn with gems." "Gem" is referenced at 159.24, during the Shaun Q/A in that chapter: "Darling gem! Darling smallfox!"

• Corresponds to Shem in twin pair of Jem and

• Shem...short...Shemus...Jem...joky...Jacob: Alliterative verse, in which alliteration rather than rhyme is the main poetic foliation, was the most frequent verse technique in Old English poetry (eg., Beowulf)