Ah, the things you can learn.

About 100 years ago (1917), drivers decided to use shame to discourage pedestrians from crossing in odd places across traffic and invented a name (and campaign) against Jaywalkers. “Jay” back then was slang for “idiot”.

Pedestrians tried to strike back by creating a team for careless drivers. After a contest was held, they chose the name “Flivverboobs”. “Flivver” being slang for “cheap car” and “boob” being slang for “idiot”. The shame campaign failed however – with jaywalking still being popular today.

As I commented to the person who shared this with me, now we just called idiot drivers “assholes”. Not as specific of a name as “flivverboob” but effective none the less. Though, I tend to call jaywalkers “dumbasses” because in my neighborhood, they like to try to sneak out between two big SUVs – SUVs that are bigger than they are so I cannot see them until they are right in my path.

Though, I think I will start calling the asshole drivers flivverboobs because, well, there is just something about that name that works. But then again, flivverboobs almost seems like a body insult like “you have flivverboobs” – useful to shame a man or woman, I guess……assuming flivverboobs sounds like the wrong kind of boobs to have.

Though, looking up Flivver in urban dictionary, I learned that it means “almost orgasm for a female – typically occurs with “boys of a selfish nature”.

Then calling someone a “flivverboob” has a whole different meaning.

Language is weird.