Lesson 5 · Street Talk 1 Vocabulary List

used of traffic

"The traffic was bumper-to-bumper."

"We were stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic for over an hour trying to get out of the city."

to accelerate very fast, particularly so that smoke can be seen coming out from the tires

"He loves to burn rubber daily."

"The race car driver decided to burn rubber as he sped away from the starting line."

stop operating or functioning

"The engine conked out suddenly."

"My old laptop finally conked out during an important presentation, causing a lot of frustration."

to experience a massive defeat by someone in any competitive situation

"The faster runner left the others to eat his dust."

"The underdog team was so outmatched that they were forced to eat the victor's dust."

a minor car accident that usually involves small damage to the vehicles

"The fender-bender causes no injuries."

"The fender bender causes no injuries and the cars are still drivable."

a vehicle with four wheels, commonly referred to as a car, truck, or ATV

"The four-wheeler has four wheels."

"The four wheeler has four wheels and includes cars and ATVs."

to modify a vehicle or its engine to enhance its power or performance

"He hopped up car."

"He decided to hop up his old motorcycle to make it faster for the upcoming track day."

an old, dilapidated car in poor condition

"The jalopy smokes and rattles down the road."

"The rusty jalopy somehow made the cross country trip despite its many mechanical problems."

to cross a street or road without following the rules, typically by crossing outside of crosswalks or against traffic signals

"Do not jaywalk across busy streets."

"The police officer warned the pedestrian not to jaywalk across the busy intersection during rush hour."

the act of starting a vehicle with a discharged battery using power from another vehicle's battery

"The jump-start gets the dead battery running again."

"The jump start gets the dead battery running again and the donor car's engine stays running."

to defeat or outperform someone or something with ease

"The new phone left the old model in the dust."

"The new software update will leave all previous versions in the dust with its advanced features."

to leave a place swiftly in a vehicle, often making the wheels leave behind skid marks

"The car peeled out of the driveway."

"The getaway driver had to peel out of the alleyway quickly to escape the pursuing police car."

in a state that is extremely efficient or active

"Our team is in high gear."

"As the project deadline loomed, the team went into high gear to complete all remaining tasks."

to hit the back of another vehicle with the front of your vehicle

"Don't rear-end the car ahead."

"I accidentally rear-ended the car in front of me when it stopped suddenly at the red light yesterday."

to increase the speed of an engine

"Rev up the engine before starting."

"The race car driver revved up his engine while waiting for the green light to start the race."

a car, particularly one that is very desirable or expensive

"He showed off his new set of wheels."

"He was so proud of his new set of wheels, a classic convertible he had always wanted."

to fill a vehicle or container with fuel or liquid

"We need to tank up."

"Before embarking on the long journey, it is advisable to tank up the car with gasoline."

an old car that is in poor condition and often unreliable

"The clunker will not pass the emissions test."

"The clunker barely passed the emissions test and smoked heavily when accelerating up hills."

someone who works as one of the members of a police force

"The cop arrived fast"

"The cop arrived fast at the scene and secured the area after the reported incident"

used to express frustration, annoyance, surprise, or impatience

"Jeez, that was very close."

"Jeez, that was very close. We almost had a big accident on the road."

used to express annoyance or frustration with someone's actions and to demand that they stop those actions

"Knock it off! Stop that behavior."

"Knock it off! Stop that behavior because it is annoying everyone in the room right now."

to have a tendency to drive very fast

"He has a lead foot always."

"My brother has a lead foot, so he gets many speeding tickets every year."

used to express indifference, dismissiveness, or lack of concern

"So what? I do not care."

"So what? I do not care about your opinion because it does not matter to me."

used to describe something, typically an action or change, that is done without any difficulty or hesitation

"This sports car can stop on a dime."

"The skilled driver could maneuver the large truck through the tight corners on a dime."

to take a vehicle for a brief, leisurely ride

"Let's take a spin around the block."

"After fixing the engine, he wanted to take his vintage car for a spin around town."

used as another way of saying 'yes'

"Yeah, that sounds great."

"Yeah, that sounds like a great plan. Let us do it together tomorrow morning."

collide with the broad side of

"The truck broadsided the small car."

"The careless driver failed to see the other car and broadsided it at the intersection."

to navigate a turn or curve with exceptional control, stability, and precision, as if the vehicle were following a set path or track

"She corners like it is rails."

"The experienced race car driver was able to corner like it was on rails, maintaining perfect control even at incredibly high speeds through the sharpest turns."

cast a spell over someone or something; put a hex on someone or something

"Do not jinx our good luck."

"Do not say that we will win the game because you might jinx our chances of victory."

used to tell someone to accelerate or speed up quickly, typically by pressing the accelerator in a vehicle

"The light is green, floor it!"

"We were running terribly late for the airport, so my friend shouted at me to floor it and get there before our flight departed."

to drive through an intersection when the traffic light is red, typically in violation of traffic laws

"He ran a red light yesterday."

"The taxi driver was in such a hurry that he decided to run a red light, which resulted in a serious accident at the busy intersection."

a place where individuals are confined as punishment for committing crimes

"The criminal spends ten years in the slammer."

"The criminal spent ten years in the slammer for armed robbery and assault."

to suddenly and unexpectedly lose air in a tire, usually due to a puncture, excessive wear, or a burst, causing a vehicle to become difficult or unsafe to drive

"We blew a tire on the highway."

"We were driving on the highway when we blew a tire and had to pull over safely."

the panel placed inside a vehicle, below the glass at the front, that is facing the driver or pilot and contains most of the controls and switches

"The dashboard houses the speedometer and fuel gauge."

"The dashboard houses the speedometer and fuel gauge and is made of soft touch plastic."

a small, high-performance automobile designed to seat only two people, often referring to classic hot rods, particularly the 1932 Ford Coupe, which was popular in early American car culture

"The hot rodder drives a classic deuce coupe."

"The hot rod enthusiast restored a nineteen thirty two deuce coupe in his garage."

a member of a law enforcement agency responsible for maintaining public order, preventing and investigating crimes, and enforcing laws within a given jurisdiction

"The flatfoot walks his beat on the city streets."

"The flatfoot walked his beat through the neighborhood greeting shopkeepers along the way."

a device, typically a radar detector, used in vehicles to detect police radar signals, helping drivers avoid speeding tickets

"He bought a new fuzz-buster device."

"The truck driver installed a high-tech fuzz-buster on his dashboard to detect police radar signals and avoid getting expensive speeding tickets on long highway trips."

a traffic accident where two vehicles hit each other directly from the front

"A head-on collision is very dangerous."

"The head-on collision on the highway caused serious injuries and forced the road to close for several hours."

a vehicle, especially a car or truck, that is modified to have a raised suspension, resulting in a higher ride height than standard vehicles

"The high rider truck has huge tires."

"The high rider truck had been modified with oversized wheels and a lifted suspension."

to suddenly or forcefully apply the brakes of a vehicle, often to avoid an accident or stop abruptly

"I jammed on the brake to avoid a deer."

"A dog ran into the street so I had to slam on the brake to avoid hitting it."

to make something more energetic, exciting, or vibrant

"They light it up now!"

"The basketball player lit it up in the final quarter and scored twenty points to win the game."

a car that has been modified to sit lower to the ground, often with customized features

"The lowrider bounces up and down with hydraulics."

"The lowrider cruised slowly down the boulevard with its hydraulic suspension bouncing rhythmically."

to suddenly and forcefully apply the brakes in a vehicle, often causing the car to stop abruptly

"She nailed the breaks just in time."

"The skilled driver nailed the breaks just in time to stop inches away from the child."

a collision involving multiple vehicles, often caused by poor visibility or sudden braking

"The pile-up involves fifteen cars."

"The pile up involves fifteen cars and the highway is closed for several hours."

to quickly release the clutch in a manual transmission vehicle, typically when starting the engine or attempting to shift gears

"He popped the clutch and the car jumped forward."

"He popped the clutch too quickly and the old truck stalled right in the middle of the road."

a vehicle, typically an old or poorly maintained one, that makes a lot of noise or rattles due to its condition. Often used to describe a car in poor shape

"The old rattletrap barely makes it up the hill."

"The rattletrap car made strange noises and smoked heavily but somehow kept running."

to modify a vehicle or its engine to enhance its power or performance

"He souped up his old car."

"The car enthusiast likes to soup up his old vehicle with a more powerful engine and custom parts."

to perform a driving maneuver where the vehicle spins in tight circles, typically on its rear tires, often creating smoke from the tires. It is commonly associated with reckless or show-off driving

"Teenagers like to spin doughnuts."

"A group of reckless teenagers decided to spin doughnuts in the empty parking lot late at night, leaving behind thick clouds of smoke and deep tire marks on the asphalt."

a maneuver in which a vehicle is temporarily balanced on its back two wheels, with the front wheels lifted off the ground

"The motorcyclist pops a wheelie down the street."

"The teenager popped a wheelie on his bicycle to impress his friends at the park."

a deflated pneumatic tire

"The tire is flat."

"He discovered with dismay that his car had a flat tire just as he was leaving."

to press the accelerator pedal down as far as it will go to make the vehicle go very fast

"He floored the gas pedal."

"The teenager floored the accelerator and the car shot forward at a dangerously high speed."

a policeman

"The fuzz is here."

"When the suspicious activity was reported, the fuzz arrived on the scene within minutes."

a member of the police

"The officer checked our documents."

"The police officer asked the driver to step out of the vehicle after noticing an open alcohol container on the passenger seat during the traffic stop."

used to say that a vehicle is driven with great speed

"I put the pedal to the metal and drove fast."

"We had to put the pedal to the metal to make sure we arrived at the airport on time."

an extra tire kept in a vehicle for use in case one of the main tires becomes flat or damaged

"We need a spare tire."

"Before embarking on a long journey, ensure you have a properly inflated spare tire."

a handwheel that is used for steering

"Turn the wheel."

"The captain gripped the large wheel, carefully navigating the ship through the stormy seas."

to surpass or outdo someone or something

"I beat him."

"She managed to beat her previous record by a significant margin in the marathon."

to closely examine to see if someone is suitable or something is true

"Let's check out."

"We need to check out the new restaurant downtown to see if it's worth the hype."

a noticeably huge number or amount of a particular thing

"The pile is high."

"The leaves formed a large pile in the corner of the yard where the children loved to jump into them every autumn."

to impose high charges, taxes, or fees on something or someone

"They soak us."

"The resort was notorious for attempting to soak tourists with exorbitant prices for basic amenities."

a gullible person who is easily cheated or taken advantage of

"He is a sucker."

"Anyone who believes that unbelievable story is a total sucker and easily deceived."

to completely destroy a vehicle, making it beyond repair

"The car will total."

"If the damage is too severe, the insurance company will declare the vehicle a total loss."

used to express surprise, astonishment, or excitement

"Whoa, slow down, please."

"Whoa, slow down, please. You are going way too fast for me."

a large and lavish feast, often with excessive food and drink

"The party was a huge blowout."

"They celebrated their anniversary with a lavish blowout, featuring an abundance of gourmet food and fine wine."

a flawed or defective item, especially referring to an unsatisfactory automobile

"This car is a lemon."

"After numerous repairs, the customer realized the vehicle was a complete lemon and demanded a refund."

(of a vehicle) equipped with a variety of additional features or accessories, such as a premium sound system, leather seats, or advanced technology

"The car is fully loaded."

"He purchased the fully loaded SUV, complete with a panoramic sunroof and advanced driver-assistance systems."

to clear out or empty a space of its contents

"Strip the table clean."

"The movers had to strip the room of all furniture before they could begin the renovation."

to drive closely behind another car, typically in a way that may be considered aggressive or dangerous

"Do not tail other cars."

"Aggressively tailing other vehicles on the highway is a dangerous and illegal practice."