What does this.$something = this.$('something') mean?

What does this.$something = this.$('something') mean?

References

Reference NO 1

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081011082005AATBLHm

Reference NO 2

http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/69662/what-does-period-mean-when-someone-says-something-period

Reference NO 3

http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/120252/what-does-the-grit-of-something-mean

Reference NO 4

http://www.facebook.com/help/110920455663362

Reference NO 5

http://noahpinionblog.blogspot.com/2013/07/what-does-it-even-mean-to-believe.html

Reference NO 6

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/15193735/what-does-this-something-this-something-mean

Reference NO 7

http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2013/01/12/what-does-it-mean-to-control-for-something/

Reference NO 8

http://www.brandwatch.com/2011/10/what-does-it-really-mean-to-like-something-on-facebook/