But this is just for the word itself. The phrase "being in a jam" to me, means being in trouble, or a bad situation whatever that is. If I'm in a situation that I don't like or don't want to be in, I say "I'm in a jam." fify-- Yea, it's the same thing. The only difference might be that when we say "in a bind," it's not something that is physically bound. It's about a situation or a emotional state.

I try to avoid situations like this because I don't like getting myself in a fix and like things to be calm and easy going. Sorry, but I won't be able to make it to the party this evening. My babysitter is in a jam because her mother got in an accident.When time is critical and I am trying to get to work, is when we seem to have the most traffic jams. This can really be a frustrating experience when it happens several times a week. Everyone is always in such a hurry, that something like a traffic jam can really make a lot of people upset and angry. I have never known anyone who thinks of being "in a jam" like a traffic jam as a positive thing. Of course, I don’t know much about how to make jam. Maybe the process of making jam involves compacting things together in a way that they are bound and nearly inseparable, I don’t know. All other uses of the phrase in the article seem to make more sense.

One of the biggest frustrations is that when it happens, there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. Getting mad and upset doesn't change anything or make the time go by any faster. If you really want to be in a jam, in the literal sense, just spend four years in Asia like I did. You will not believe how closely compacted the cars are there!

in a pinch

Where were you yesterday? I was in a jam and needed someone to take my dog out and you didn't answer your phone. My idea of someone "being in a jam", or in a tight spot has to do with relationships. One of my sisters is very blunt and never stops to think before she says anything. If I really make my imagination stretch, I can see some similarities there. Everything in the jar needs to be bound together, which would be similar to some definitions of this saying. I mean you can have four lanes worth of cars in a two lane highway. They are inches from each other, and I am not exaggerating. Driving there was one of the worst experiences of my life, and when I could, I simply deferred to the services of a driver and let myself sit in the passenger seat. The only thing I can think of is how you have to use the right amount of pectin to make sure your jam gels. If you don't use enough, it will be too runny and not hold together properly.