What Does 'Jiffy' Mean in Science and Technology?

[dlgoff]

I'm watching the History Channel program Modern Marvels "Measure It" and learned there is a unit of measurement called the Jiffy.

In electronics, a jiffy is the time between alternating current power cycles, 1/60 or 1/50 of a second...

In computing, a jiffy is the duration of one tick of the system timer interrupt.

In astrophysics and quantum physics a jiffy is, as defined by Edward R. Harrison,[5] the time it takes for light to travel one fermi, which is the size of a nucleon.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiffy_%28time%29"

 

[Evo]

So every time I told someone I would be there in a jiffy, I was lying.

Who knew?

 

[MotoH]

my life is in shambles from this revelation.

 

[waht]

Is it also a derivative of a jerk?