Lesson 7 · Street Talk 2 Vocabulary List

to become congested or gather closely together, often referring to traffic or crowds becoming tightly packed or slowed down

"Cars bunch up here."

"During rush hour, the cars on the highway inevitably begin to bunch up, causing significant delays."

an unobstructed view or opportunity

"The sniper had a clear shot."

"The sniper waited for a clear shot before pulling the trigger at the target."

to provide someone with information and make them aware of something

"Clue me in on the secret."

"Can you clue me in on what happened at the meeting because I was sick and could not attend."

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."

used to alert someone to pay attention or to be cautious about something

"Heads up! A ball is coming."

"Heads up! A ball is coming your way, so catch it before it hits you."

to closely observe someone or something to stay informed about their activities or whereabouts

"Keep tabs on the kids."

"The police have been keeping tabs on the suspected criminal for several months waiting for him to make a mistake."

a person who stares inquisitively

"The rubbernecker slowed down traffic."

"The rubbernecker slowed down to look at the car accident causing a traffic jam behind him."

a time of day at which traffic is the heaviest because people are leaving for work or home

"Rush hour is stressful."

"Traffic is worst during rush hour."

a situation that causes difficulties for one

"It is a tough row to hoe."

"Teaching in an underfunded school is a tough row to hoe but the dedicated teachers do their best."

to move toward a destination or goal, often with effort or difficulty, typically involving a gradual or slow progress

"Work your way home."

"The hikers had to work their way through the dense forest to reach the hidden waterfall."

a vehicle with wheels drawn by one or more horses

"The rig is old."

"The ornate rig, pulled by two magnificent white horses, paraded proudly through the town square."

a place where vehicles slow down or stop because the road narrows or there is an obstruction

"The bottleneck at the tunnel causes long delays."

"The bottleneck at the tunnel causes long delays and traffic backs up for miles."

to move swiftly and briskly

"She will clip along."

"The experienced hiker began to clip along the mountain trail, quickly gaining altitude before sunset."

to an absolute or complete extent

"The target was dead."

"He was dead tired after running the marathon and immediately fell asleep."

great in amount, degree, or intensity; worse than usual in severity

"It is heavy rain."

"The unexpected and heavy snowfall caused significant disruptions to transportation and daily life."

to increase in speed or pace suddenly or gradually

"The car will pick up speed."

"After merging onto the highway, the truck began to pick up speed, eventually reaching the legal limit."

the location or setting where an event or action takes place

"This is the scene."

"The crime scene was meticulously preserved by the forensic team to gather all available evidence."

the strip of land on the side of a road where vehicles can stop in an emergency

"Pull onto the shoulder."

"The driver safely pulled over onto the shoulder to change a flat tire."

to lose control of a vehicle, causing it to spin around or slide uncontrollably, typically on a slippery or wet surface

"The car spun out on ice."

"When the truck spun out on the wet highway, the driver struggled to regain control before crashing into the guardrail."

a traffic accident involving two or more vehicles that have collided, often causing a messy or complicated situation on the road

"It was a tangle."

"The multi-car tangle on the freeway caused significant delays for thousands of commuters during rush hour."