gistfile1.js

var $options = $("<option></option>");
$options.add($("<option></option>"));
$options.add($("<option></option>"));

console.log($options.length); // 1  -- wtf?
console.log($options.html()); // <option></option>  -- again, wtf?

// the documentation for jQuery#add seems to indicate this should work but it doesn't. Any ideas?

add doesn't seem to mutate the original collection—it creates a new one:

$("<option></option>").add($("<option></option>")).
  add($("<option></option>")).length; // 3

Edit: Yep. Third paragraph in the docs:

The following will not save the added elements, because the .add() method creates a new set and leaves the original set in pdiv unchanged...

$options = $options.add(...)

thanks all!