Driving & Travel

American slang related to cars, driving, and road culture

Introducción

América es una cultura del automóvil, y el lenguaje lo refleja. Desde gritar "shotgun" hasta "rubbernecking" ante un "fender bender", el slang de conducción está profundamente tejido en el inglés americano.

Este capítulo cubre slang americano relacionado con conducir, viajes por carretera y viajar — vocabulario nacido de una nación que vive detrás del volante.

Temas

Todos los Argot americano en este capítulo (67)

• Road trip A long-distance journey by car, typically for leisure or adventure rather tha...
• Shotgun The front passenger seat of a car, or the act of claiming that seat by callin...
• Pedal to the metal To go as fast as possible, or to put maximum effort into something.
• Fender bender A minor car accident with little damage, usually just a dent or scratch.
• Rubbernecking Slowing down to stare at an accident, construction, or anything unusual on th...
• Backseat driver A passenger who gives unwanted advice or criticism about how the driver is dr...
• Carpool To share a car ride with others going to the same destination, splitting the ...
• Jaywalking Crossing a street illegally, typically outside of a crosswalk or against a tr...
• Rush hour The peak traffic period when most people are commuting to or from work, typic...
• Gridlock A severe traffic jam where vehicles are completely stuck and unable to move i...
• Hit the road To leave, depart, or begin a journey.
• Joyride A reckless or unauthorized drive taken purely for fun, often in someone else'...
• Lemon A car (or any product) that turns out to be defective or unreliable.
• Gas guzzler A vehicle that consumes a lot of fuel, typically a large truck or SUV.
• Lead foot A person who drives very fast, or the habit of pressing the gas pedal too hard.
• Tailgating Driving dangerously close to the car in front of you, or partying in a parkin...
• Carjacking Stealing a car by force while the driver is present, typically at gunpoint or...
• Clunker An old, run-down car that barely works and makes lots of noise.
• Beater A cheap, worn-out car that still runs despite its rough condition.
• Road rage Extreme anger or aggression exhibited by a driver, often leading to dangerous...
• Totaled When a car is so badly damaged in an accident that the cost to repair it exce...
• Pull over To move a vehicle to the side of the road and stop, especially when directed ...
• Pit stop A brief stop during a trip for gas, food, or a bathroom break.
• Cruising Driving around slowly with no particular destination, usually for fun or to b...
• Flip a U-turn To make a U-turn, turning the car around 180 degrees to go back the way you c...
• Bumper to bumper Extremely heavy traffic where cars are so close together they're nearly touch...
• Freeway A high-speed, limited-access highway with no tolls, traffic lights, or inters...
• On-ramp The entrance ramp that merges onto a highway or freeway.
• Off-ramp The exit ramp that leads off a highway or freeway, or figuratively, an exit s...
• Sunday driver A person who drives very slowly and cautiously, annoying other drivers.
• Punch it To accelerate quickly, to floor the gas pedal.
• Red-light runner A driver who drives through an intersection after the traffic light has turne...
• Flying by Driving extremely fast, well above the speed limit.
• Speed trap A stretch of road where police frequently hide to catch speeders, or a town k...
• Road hog A driver who takes up more than their share of the road or refuses to let oth...
• Road warrior A person who travels frequently for work, spending a lot of time driving or f...
• Whip A car, especially a nice or flashy one.
• Tricked out A vehicle that has been heavily customized or modified with flashy additions.
• Pickup truck A vehicle with an open cargo bed in the back, deeply embedded in American cul...
• SUV Sport Utility Vehicle — a large, high-riding vehicle that has become the domi...
• Parallel parking Parking a car parallel to the curb between two other vehicles — a skill that ...
• Right of way The legal right to proceed first in traffic, or the general principle of who ...
• Score a parking spot To find and claim a desirable parking space, especially in a crowded area.
• DUI Driving Under the Influence — operating a vehicle while impaired by alcohol o...
• Uber A rideshare service, or generically, any app-based car service. Also used as ...
• Carpool lane A highway lane reserved for vehicles carrying two or more people, also known ...
• Rest stop A roadside facility along a highway with restrooms, vending machines, and som...
• The interstate A major highway that is part of the Interstate Highway System, connecting cit...
• Detour An alternate route taken when the main road is blocked, or any deviation from...
• Take the scenic route To choose a longer but more beautiful road, or to take an unnecessarily long ...
• Vanity plate A personalized license plate with a custom combination of letters and numbers...
• Honk To sound a car's horn, or the sound itself.
• Cut someone off To abruptly merge in front of another driver, forcing them to brake suddenly.
• Where the rubber meets the road The point where theory becomes practice, where something is actually tested i...
• Stick shift A manual transmission car that requires the driver to shift gears using a sti...
• Blacktop A paved road surface made of asphalt, or any paved road in general.
• Stoplight A traffic signal, especially when referring to the red light that means stop.
• Cloverleaf A type of highway interchange shaped like a four-leaf clover, with looping ra...
• Floor it To press the gas pedal all the way to the floor for maximum acceleration.
• Gas station A fueling station where drivers purchase gasoline for their vehicles.
• Take a backseat To become less important, to take a secondary or subordinate role.
• Roadkill An animal that has been hit and killed by a vehicle on the road.
• Drive-by Something done quickly while passing by, or a shooting from a moving vehicle.
• Hauling Going very fast, or transporting something heavy in a vehicle.
• In the fast lane Living an exciting, high-paced lifestyle, or literally driving in the left la...
• Fender The panel of a car body above and around the wheel, often used in expressions...
• Hit and run A traffic accident where the responsible driver flees the scene without stopp...