We are hitting the road on another adventure! Well, itâs just an article, but you get the point. Learning a language is a long and arduous process, but itâs easier when made fun. One cool thing about English is all the varied expressions it uses to describe daily happenings. There seem to be an interesting (or suspicious) amount of terms derived from cars and driving, as you could see in parts 1 and 2. In todayâs article, I intended to describe even more of these kinds of expressions. However, I realized a lot of these are a bit more specific than your average terms.
Still, these are useful, so why not give them a try? These are 10 more words and expressions about driving and cars ⊠oh, and some can be used in other situations too. Enjoy!Â
Fender Bender
Making a “whoopsy”
This term is very helpful in the specific case that one gets into a minor car accident. Itâs not quite a âwreckâ but there is a little bit of damage. Itâs less common, but sometimes this expression can be used to refer to a minor accident off of the road, too.
Hits & accidents
- Terry got into a fender bender last night on the highway. I sure hope he wasnât drinking.Â
- Sometimes we get into little bumps and fender benders that we have to overcome.Â
Crash Course / Collision Course
On the road to chaos
In some cases, these two expressions can have a similar meaning. Being on a collision course (or a crash course) towards something is like being on the road to disaster. This danger can be on an actual road or on a metaphorical “course” in life. Something bad is coming, and there will be conflict if nothing is done to stop it.Â
In other contexts, a crash course can specifically be a highly intensive academic course or class. Just like this channel I love on YouTube called Crash Course! I’m sure you all will love it if you don’t already.
A crashing lesson
- When the truckâs emergency brake failed, it went on a collision course down the hill until it eventually hit a wall.
- If we donât put John and Michael into separate classrooms, they are going to be on a collision course until one of them throws the first punch.
- Iâm taking a crash course next week on thermodynamics. Wish me luck!Â
Hit the Road
Go away! Or not
âHit the road, Jack!â Pretty much everyone knows this song, and by consequence, the meaning of those famous words. Saying this can be the same as telling someone to leave or go away. Usually, though, the meaning has to do with traveling or beginning a trip.
Get goingÂ
- You need to hit the road, Jack. I donât want you around here anymore.Â
- Come on, kids! Letâs hit the road. Disneyland isnât coming to us.Â
Get the Show on the Road
It’s showtime!
Following the theme of roads, hereâs another useful expression to bring up. When someone says, get the show on the road, it means to begin some process or to proceed with it. The âshowâ is normally a reference to something important like a major event, a meeting, a procedure, and so on. Sometimes, itâs used in a similar sense to âhit the road,â or in other words, letâs start this trip!Â
Move along, now
- We need to get the show on the road, so donât worry about the microphone. You can start without it.
- Come on, kids! Letâs get this show on the road. Disneyland wonât wait for us.
Joyride / Joy Ride
Bad joy
Joyriding is such a âjoy!â Well, for some. Going on a joyride usually involves stealing a car or using a car that doesnât belong to the driver. The new driver may do other illegal activities with the car or just use it to ride around with friends without any particular motive. This obviously isnât a joy for whoever got their car stolen.Â
Riding dirty
- Carla loves to joyride in other peopleâs cars. One day sheâll get caught.
Road Hog
The hateful hog
A road hog is someone who drives in multiple lanes and likes to take up lots of space on the road. This recklessness usually puts other drivers in danger, but it is always super annoying. Road hogs are normally careless drivers or intentionally trying to get in othersâ ways. The verb version of this is toâhog the road.âÂ
Danger, danger, space taker
- Donât be a road hog, let the other drivers pass.
- I really wish that guy would quit hogging the road. Itâs so dangerous.
Road Rage
Raging in the machine
Do you have road rage? Oh, itâs such an exhilarating disease! Just kidding. Road rage is exactly what it sounds like. This is when someone gets intensely angry, filled with rage while driving on the road. They usually perform such behaviors as honking excessively, speeding, and doing dangerous maneuvers to get around people. Road ragers may also yell or make obscene gestures at other drivers, and more. Doesnât that just sound pleasant?!
They call me “angry driver”
- Why do they keep honking? Just let the poor lady cross the street. Everybodyâs got road rage these days.
Hit and Run
Left to hurt
This is probably the most controversial expression on this here list, if there is such a thing. A hit and run is what happens when a car hits another car or person, and then ârunsâ or drives away. The person at fault often drives away out of fear, but the accident oftentimes causes serious injury, property damage, or even death in the saddest cases.Â
This nature of âcause damage and flee the sceneâ is sometimes used in the context of relationships. A hit and run in this sense can mean that someone had relations (usually sexual) with another and left without saying anything. A similar expression in these cases is âhit and quit.âÂ
Whether itâs a car or a relationship, the impact on the âvictimâ has a familiar feeling of being abandoned and vulnerable.Â
Fleeing the scene
- Did you hear the crash last night? I know, it was a terrible hit and run.
- Chuck is an infamous ladies’ man. You better prepare for a hit and run. then.
Hotwire
Breaking in hot
H-o-t-w-i-r-e, Hotwire.com! No, not that kind of hotwire. Normally, this word is used to describe a crime where someone uses the electric circuits of a car to start it without a key. This is a useful skill for when one loses their keys, but it is normally performed to steal a car. Wow, this part 3 is a little dark, eh?Â
One can also hotwire a system or program. In this sense, itâs not so much about stealing as it is about figuring out how to break into something for your own advantage. In an informal sense, it can have a similar meaning to âhackâ or “breaking a code.”
Cracking the code
- Vanessa is a professional car thief. She has hotwired everything from Mitsubishis to Bentleys.
- My companyâs new interface is very complex, but Iâm sure I can hotwire it and figure it out within the week.Â
Pumped (up) / Gassed (up)
Fill ‘er up!
Similar to pumping gas into an engine, being pumped up is feeling full of excitement and energy. Itâs how I imagine a car must feel after going to the gas station. This expression works as pumped up or simply pumped. A similar term is gassed up, which is feeling high energy and excitement too. This is different from simply feeling gassed though, which is the exact opposite, for some reason.Â
A gassy tank
- The kids are so pumped about going to Disneyland. Iâm sure it will be tons of fun.Â
- Many athletes like listening to music to get pumped up before a game.Â
- Letâs get gassed up, you guys! The game is about to start.Â
- Weâve been traveling all day long, Iâm totally gassed. Can we please take a break?
That’s it, you guys! Thank you for reading and I hope you learned some new phrases. How would you use these in your own sentences? What is your favorite expression about cars and driving? Tell us about it. And, as always, take care of each other. Peace!
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