The term "jaywalker" has changed its meaning over time. Originally, it was created to mimic the term "jay-driver," which referred to people driving horse-drawn carriages or cars who ignored traffic rules by driving on the wrong side of the road.
In The Kansas City Star, the term "jay walker" was introduced to describe pedestrians who didn't follow proper sidewalk etiquette. The code suggested that collisions and being labeled a 'jay walker' could be avoided if people kept to the right when passing others going in the opposite direction.
Initially, "jaywalker" was used to scold those who lacked sidewalk manners, and it wasn't associated with pedestrians crossing streets. The term, along with "jay-driver," originated from the word "jay," which means 'a greenhorn (νεοφερμένος), or rube (αγροίκος).'
