Jaywalk - B1

According to the “Merriam-Webster Dictionary”, Jaywalk consists in crossing a street carelessly or in an illegal manner so as to be endangered by traffic. It could be the case of a pedestrian crossing a street against the traffic lights or stepping out a crosswalk.

Jaywalk, is a word which originated in the US in the early 20th Century. This term is the result of the contraction of the word JAY and the verb WALK. At that time “Jay” was a slang for “Rube” which means a rustic person, a newcomer unfamiliar with the city ways, or also a stupid man. So, to jaywalk is to walk like a “jay”, like a stupid person who doesn’t care about traffic regulations.

For more fun with road signs, watch the following video.