“Roaring Jelly”
In WWII, “roaring jelly” was military slang for gelignite or “blasting gelatin”, a plastic explosive invented in 1876 by Alfred Nobel. Gelignite consists of collodion-cotton (a type of nitrocellulose, i.e., cotton that has been treated with nitric and sulfuric acid) that has been dissolved in nitroglycerine and then mixed with saltpetre and wood pulp. Gelignite is more stable than dynamite, has a greater yield, and is one of the cheapest explosives available. It is yellowish-transparent, rubberlike, easy to shape, and can be stored and handled relatively safely because it cannot explode without a detonator. Apart from the military (where it no longer plays an important role today) it is used in mining and quarrying.
So far, so obvious – but the eponymous tune for the dance is found in a collection issued in 1806 by
Nathaniel Gow
(1763–1831), which seems to preclude the explosive connection. The Irish repertoire calls the tune
Smash the Windows
, which would go well with the blasting gelatin, but that title is also on record since the early 19th century. Another explanation points to the fact that pork rinds must be boiled very vigorously to make gelatin, and that could also cause loud noises, right? Perhaps afterwards the gelatin is just “roaring good”? Riddles upon riddles …
From “Anselm's Notes on Dances”, by Anselm Lingnau
(Used by permission.)