jaywalk
to walk carelessly across a street
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
In affluent Berlin, bankers and punks alike will wait patiently at the kerbside on streets deserted of traffic until the green man appears - they would sooner set themselves on fire than JAYWALK.
(BBC News)
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A Seattle, Washington, police officer who was caught on video punching an alleged JAYWALKER, did nothing wrong, the Seattle Police Officers Guild said.
(CNN)
(BBC News)
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A Seattle, Washington, police officer who was caught on video punching an alleged JAYWALKER, did nothing wrong, the Seattle Police Officers Guild said.
(CNN)
Did you
know?
jaywalk
verb
- to walk across a road at a place where it is not allowed or without taking care to avoid the traffic
(Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)
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ORIGIN
In towns in the American Midwest in the early 20th century, "jay" was a synonym for "rube", a negative term for a rural resident, assumed by many urbanites to be stupid, slightly unintelligent, or perhaps simply naïve. Such a person did not know to keep out of the way of other pedestrians and speeding cars. Thus someone who didn't adhere to the rules for crossing a street was a jaywalker.
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A man jaywalked across a street when a car slammed into him. He sued the motorist, whose lawyer made the following statement at the end of the trial:
"Your honour, my client was not at fault. He has been driving a car for thirty years, and has never had an accident, nor gotten so much as a speeding ticket. I do not think I need to say any more."
Unimpressed, the lawyer for the jaywalker said:
"Your honour, speaking of experience, may I remind the court that my client has been walking for over seventy years?"
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SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
Say something like:
"In some countries jaywalking can lead to a heavy fine and even prison."
verb
- to walk across a road at a place where it is not allowed or without taking care to avoid the traffic
(Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)
---
ORIGIN
In towns in the American Midwest in the early 20th century, "jay" was a synonym for "rube", a negative term for a rural resident, assumed by many urbanites to be stupid, slightly unintelligent, or perhaps simply naïve. Such a person did not know to keep out of the way of other pedestrians and speeding cars. Thus someone who didn't adhere to the rules for crossing a street was a jaywalker.
---
A man jaywalked across a street when a car slammed into him. He sued the motorist, whose lawyer made the following statement at the end of the trial:
"Your honour, my client was not at fault. He has been driving a car for thirty years, and has never had an accident, nor gotten so much as a speeding ticket. I do not think I need to say any more."
Unimpressed, the lawyer for the jaywalker said:
"Your honour, speaking of experience, may I remind the court that my client has been walking for over seventy years?"
---
SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
Say something like:
"In some countries jaywalking can lead to a heavy fine and even prison."
