www.alphadictionary.com

Jitney: jaloupy, or broken down machine, cart, car, etc.
Understandable.
When as a boy we had a school sponsored lunch once
a month, called, of all things "Jitney Lunch". It consisted
of hotdogs cooked in school premises, a small salad and
cookie or cupcake. We had no hot lunch and had to
bring sack lunches. So this was a treat.
My consternation is why call this a jitney lunch when it
clearly has nothing to do with a meal?

Neither does tailgating, but it does.

Jitney also was slang for a nickel. Perhaps that what the meal cost back then?

Tailgating is where the party's held, so that makes sense to me. What gets me right now is that the bourbon Jim Beam is advertising itself as the way to make a perfect tailgating party. Gee, let's have some booze and drive home. I believe it would be called open-container, too.

I don't recall what the cost of the lunch was, but if it was
slang that's ok. It was the mid 50's, and could have been.
I've never heard it thus, however. Thanks.