You don't always need a jQuery object in the loop, and providing one encourages people to do slow things. For example, if you want to see if a check box is checked, `this.checked` is 100 times faster [http://jsperf.com/bens-test] than `$(this).is(":checked")`. (Sorry about the lame name, I was hanging out with Ben Alman after the jQuery Conference, it was late, and I was tired).

If you do need a jQuery object, you can use James Padolsey's trick by keeping your own single-item jQuery object outside the `.each()` and update/reuse it inside.