[PRL] Solution to dinner question

Mitchell Wand wand at ccs.neu.edu
Fri Mar 19 22:25:40 EST 2004


For those of you who were within earshot at dinner tonite:

>From AskOxford.com:

What is the origin of the word 'jaywalking'?
	
Printer Friendly Version

The complete Oxford English Dictionary traces the word jaywalker back
to 1917 and labels it 'originally US'. There is a cross-reference to
the word jay, which has a number of slang senses. The relevant one is
'a stupid or dull person, a simpleton. Also (as adjective) dull,
unsophisticated; inferior, poor'. This is labelled 'US colloquial',
and there is evidence of use from 1900. So persons who stupidly
ignored traffic regulations were given (in Boston, it seems) this
compact name.  



More information about the PRL mailing list