Fuel for thought – car slang and expressions

Today let’s talk about car and on-the-road slang and expressions. Let’s explore some of their meanings and examples used in common situations – reading their translations to Portuguese as well. Check them out!

Blow a tire – to get a flat tire
Example: We had to pull over because we blew a tire on the highway. (Tivemos que encostar porque estouramos um pneu na estrada.)

Cop – it is a casual or informal term for a police officer
Example: The cop pulled us over for speeding. (O policial nos parou por excesso de velocidade.)

Eat one’s dust – to be left behind by a fast-moving car
Example: The sports car zoomed past us, and we ate its dust. (O carro esportivo passou por nós em alta velocidade, e ficamos para trás.)

Fill’er up! – expression used when you want to ask for your vehicle’s gas tank to be completely filled.
Example: I need to get gas before the trip, so let’s stop at the station and fill’er up! (Eu preciso abastecer antes da viagem, então vamos parar no posto e encher o tanque!)

Floor it – to accelerate as fast as possible, pressing the gas pedal fully to speed up the car.
Example: The light turned green, and he floored it to catch up with the other cars. (O semáforo ficou verde, e ele apertou o acelerador ao máximo para alcançar os outros carros.)

Head-on – an abbreviation of “head-on collision”. It’s often used to describe a serious accident.
Example: The two cars collided head-on in the middle of the road. (Os dois carros colidiram de frente no meio da estrada.)

Jaywalk – to walk across the street from a prohibited point to another, often creating a hazard for traffic.
Example: He got a ticket for jaywalking when he crossed the street outside the crosswalk. (Ele recebeu uma multa por atravessar fora da faixa de pedestres.)

Strip a car – to illegally remove and steal parts from a car, often for resale.
Example: The thieves stripped the car of its wheels and radio before leaving. (Os ladrões roubaram as rodas e o rádio do carro antes de fugir.)

Wheel – abbreviation of steering wheel
Example: She grabbed the wheel and turned sharply to avoid the puddle.(Ela pegou o volante e virou bruscamente para evitar a poça.)

Share this post with your friends and challenge them: which ones did they already know? If any of you are planning on driving into any gas station in America, this list could be of great help!

#CarSlang #DrivingPhrases #CarExpressions #TopScore