# Jaywalking?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaywalking/19952>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 19, 2000, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaywalking/19952 "2000-05-19T05:58:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![chief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df788c/32.png) [@chief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chief)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2000, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaywalking/19952/1 "2000-05-19T05:58:46Z")

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what is the origin of this term?

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**Author:** ![Cabbage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@Cabbage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabbage)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2000, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaywalking/19952/2 "2000-05-19T06:32:50Z")

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Here’s an (albeit somewhat inconclusive) Mailbag column on the question:

[http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mjaywalk.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mjaywalk.html)

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**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2000, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaywalking/19952/3 "2000-05-19T08:22:26Z")

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Three of my dictionaries confirm that _jaywalking_ derives from _jay_ a simple, stupid, or rustic person.

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**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2000, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaywalking/19952/4 "2000-05-19T13:39:06Z")

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Y’see, _Jay_ Leno goes _walking_ on the streets of Burbank and finds idiotic people to interview. Hence, _jaywalking_.