How Well Do You Know Car Slang?

AUTO

By: Craig

6 Min Quiz

Image: YouTube

About This Quiz

Car users have created an entire language of their own with words being generated to cover models, structure, parts and even words describing particular events involving cars. Just as fast as cars go, their terms, lingo, and slang have traveled great distances across states, regions and even continents.

In certain countries, these words are used to explain their anatomy, from the "beltline," which indicates the lower edge where the glass ends, to the “stick,” describing the manual gearshift and “whip” which was used when automobiles were first invented to refer to the steering wheel. Some of these words may extend to actions, like “lockup,” “understeer,” and “brake bias.”

On the other hand, different models of vehicles also have their own lingo. Such is the case with “drop head” which is used by the British and if you are an Aussie, the Dunny Door, Bomb-a-door and Commode are all words that also allude to types of vehicles.

How much do you really know about car slang? Would you be able to decipher what was being said if someone used some of the words around you, or would you be totally lost? The only way to test your knowledge is to take this quiz!

'That's a stunning 'Stang' What does 'Stang refer to?

First introduced in 1964, the Ford Mustang is probably the most iconic muscle car ever produced.

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A Ford Mustang is an iconic muscle car. What is a muscle car?

Perhaps the most famous muscle of them all is the Ford Mustang. The first muscle car was the Oldsmobile Rocket 88, built in 1949.

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A car made up of pre-made parts that looks just like the original

Kit Cars are great if you are good at assembling things. Normally they will also have standard engines in them. Something readily available and reliable. In the early years of these cars, the preferred powerplant was a VW Bug engine.

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'That's a stunning 'Vette. Is it a C1?' What does ''Vette' refer to?

The Corvette was first produced in 1953. It is now in its seventh generation and perhaps the most iconic of the Chevrolet brands.

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"Ten-four good buddy, that's a hell of a Big Rig you have there, over!" What is a Big Rig?

Big Rig is the slang word car enthusiasts and truckers use to describe large trucks that transport goods on long-haul trips across countries throughout the world.

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An American brand of car often referred to as a Chev.

Chevrolet was founded in 1911 by Louis Chevrolet and William Durant. The famous bow tie badge soon followed and today, they are one of the big three car manufactures in the United States.

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This is another name for the hood of your car.

The term bonnet is often used in England and other commonwealth countries instead of hood.

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What is a 4x4?

The first 4x4 vehicles were already invented before the 1990s. In fact, Ferdinand Porsche built an electric 4x4 vehicle in 1899.

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This describes a convertible car with a fabric roof that can be folded back when the weather allows.

This slang term is of British origin. Usually, dropheads are two door cars and the term is often used for the British marque, Rolls Royce.

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The term used to describe when the tires on a car stop spinning under braking, forcing the car to skid

A lockup can occur on the front or back tires but this does not often happen to both at the sme time, especially in normal driving conditions.

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A whoopty? You bought a whoopty! What is it?

A Whoopty (silent W) is an old, dilapidated car that barely runs.

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Most boy racers (and real racers) know how to heel and toe effectively. What does this technique entail?

This technique need not be used in urban driving but it is important on the racetrack and every race driver will make use of it.

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What does an oil burner refer to?

An alternative to a petrol driven engine, the first diesel powered cars started appearing on the roads in the 1930s.

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If your car is understeering, what is it doing?

As the front tires lose grip while understeering and despite turning the steering wheel, your car will refuse to turn.

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What is a Jalopy?

A Jalopy is an old, busted up car that still runs. It became a common term in the early 1930s.

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Quickly pressing the throttle, sometimes two or three times in a row is known as?

Blipping is used by racing drivers to keep the revs of the car up as they downshift while braking for a corner. Of course, you can use this technique on the road as well.

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A suicide door refers to?

Suicide doors first appeared on horsedrawn carriages. They then made their way to vehicles but as they modernized, the door as we now know it became standard as they were safer.

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Your car is starting to oversteer through the corners. Explain what is happening.

As the rear tires lose grip while oversteering the back end of the car will snap out and if not caught in time, cause the car to spin

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This term is used to describe the innermost point of a corner.

Hitting the apex is important for racing drivers to ensure they go through the corner as efficiently as possible, thus improving their lap time.

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Many use this phrase to describe a luxury German make of car.

BMW was founded in Germany in 1916 and originally made aircraft engines. They moved onto motorcycles before producing their first car in 1928.

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"That's a beautiful Breezer you have there. It must be fun when the sun is out and your hair blows in the wind!" What is a Breezer?

Breezer is a slang term for a convertible. Although the first cars were open-topped, convertibles that could convert from closed top to open and back again were around as early as the 1920s.

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This describes the tilt of the front wheels of a car.

Camber describes the tilt of the front wheels of a car. If they tilt inwards, the car is set to have negative camber. If they tilt outwards it has positive camber. This is important, particularly on racing cars and will differ from driver to driver.

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If you have a 6Banger, what do you have?

46Banger is a slang term that describes a car with a 6-cylinder engine

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"You must come see my Barn Find that I discovered yesterday." What is a Barn Find?

Barn Finds are any cars, motorcycles or trucks that are found in a derilict condition but can be restored. These are usually left in sheds, old carports, ancient garages and even barns.

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You need this number for vehicle insurance purposes.

A car's vehicle identification number (VIN) is essentially its fingerprint. No car will have the same VIN as your car.

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This describes a steering technique where you turn the steering wheel in the other direction to which your car is turning.

This technique is used by racing drivers to catch their car before it goes into a spin. It is also used in the sport of drifting to send a car sideways, wheels screaming and smoke coming from the tires as it goes around a corner.

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If your friend bought a tuna boat, what does he have?

This slang term describe a large car.

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Double clutching is?

Double declutching was an essential technique on older gearboxes without syncros. If not used, the gears would grind. On modern cars, it can be used to make driving smoother.

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A 4Banger refers to what kind of car?

4Banger is a slang term that describes a car with a 4-cylinder engine

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If you drift, what are you doing in your vehicle?

Drifting was started by Keiichi Tsuchiya in the mid-1980s and has become a very popular motorsport.

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What does the slang term hooning mean?

Hooning is an Australian slang term for driving recklessly.

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If someone is buying new mags for their car, what are they getting?

Found on most top of the range cars, the rims, or mags have become an essential part of a cars character.

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White wall _____?

These tires were first used on horse drawn carriages in from 1914. In 1934, they became an option on all Ford models. They are not as popular today.

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If you have a pocket rocket what do you have?

Pocket rockets are small, lightweight cars with high-performance engines. They are normally hatchbacks. One of the first of these cars was the Golf GTI first introduced in the mid-'70s.

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Everyone laughs at your friend's Junker. What is it?

A Junker is possibly the worst condition a car could be in without it consigned to the scrapheap. This is one level below a Jalopy.

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