The drink's name alludes to Egan's novel Life in London, or The Day and Night Scenes of Jerry Hawthorn, Esq. and his Elegant Friend Corinthian Tom (1821), as well as the accompanying theatrical play Tom and Jerry, or Life in London (also 1821). In the book and play, these characters are described as "a ton and a half" - that is, a gentleman over six feet tall. Egan's novel was very popular when it was published, and its depiction of life in London caused many people to want to move there. Thus, the need for a large body of workers attracted to the city by good jobs - which in turn created more demand for food - became evident. Therefore, the term "ton and half" came to mean "large number." In conclusion, the word "ton" comes from the Latin tunus meaning "whale meat" and refers to the oil found inside the blubber of whales. "Jerry" is a shortened form of Jeroboam, which comes from a Hebrew word meaning "the throne is in heaven". Together, they refer to oil derived from whale flesh. Although gasoline today comes from petroleum, it used to be made from whale fat until about 1880.