Jaywalking

:For The Tonight Show skit, see Jaywalking (The Tonight Show).

Etymology

The word jaywalker traces back to 1917, though it may have been in use as early as 1900. It is generally considered to have originated in the United States, possibly from the city of Boston. It is a portmanteau of the words jay and walk; in this context, jay is used in the obsolete slang sense, referring to a stupid or dull person, or possibly a rube, i.e. someone from a rural area and not familiar with "city ways". At the time, vehicles and traffic signals were a new concept, gaining popularity in the larger cities, so this term would have been most commonly used to describe newcomers who were unfamiliar with these recent developments.

Related Topics:
1917 - 1900 - United States - Boston - Portmanteau - Rube

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