Crossing without a signal, where did the term jay walking originate?

Jaywalker first entered American English in about 1917, and jay comes from a previous use of jay to describe a `bold or impudent person.' That is thought to come from (blue) jay, which is known to be a bold bird, teasing other animals and even humans.

Well, if you are from NY you won't like this answer. Apparently, back in the 1800's, country bumpkins visiting the city were called "jays" probably because bluejays are loud, brightly-colored and not-very-bright birds. "Jay" has been used as a synonym for "simpleton" since the 1500's. In any case, these out-of-town "jays" were famous for being clueless. They wandered all over the city, gawked at the big buildings, and blundered right into traffic whenever they felt like crossing the street. By the early 1900's, paying no attention to traffic signals or crosswalks was known as "jaywalking."

Like that answer? I did too. This is a great site to learn the history behind words:

Words

The American blue jay is certainly a bold bird unafraid of humans and looks in its fine plumage as though its dressed up to go out. Its European relative, the jay, also of the crow family (corvidae), is equally fine in pink and grey.Its image as a simpleton is probably in part from its lack of fear, allowing anyone to get close. Interestingly several members of this family (notably the commoner magpie) can be seen 'jaywalking' on roads . They stroll in and out of the rush, as calm as you please. They eat the beetles, small birds and rodents hit by the traffic. By 1917 they may have been doing this,more literal, jaywalking in town as much as the countrymen! The other 'stupid' thing they do is bury acorns for Winter and forget them. Good thing. Most natural oak planting and virtually all natural oak woods in Britain are the result of jays planting these ( very few grow up near the parent trees because of the competition for light, water and nutrients). Anyway, the jays still seem to find enough for themselves!