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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?
Mustang
First introduced in 1964, the Ford Mustang is probably the most iconic muscle car ever produced.
Corvette
GTO
Charger
A Ford Mustang is an iconic muscle car. What is a muscle car?
A car filled with bodybuilders
An American two-door sports 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.
A car that has been tuned to go faster
None of the above
A car made up of pre-made parts that looks just like the original
Kit Car
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.
Jalopy
Big Rig
Kombi
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'That's a stunning 'Vette. Is it a C1?' What does ''Vette' refer to?
Corvette
The Corvette was first produced in 1953. It is now in its seventh generation and perhaps the most iconic of the Chevrolet brands.
Mustang
GTO
Charger
"Ten-four good buddy, that's a hell of a Big Rig you have there, over!" What is a Big Rig?
A motorcycle
A sedan
A massive truck
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.
A microcar
An American brand of car often referred to as a Chev.
Chevrolet
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.
Ford
Toyota
Chrysler
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This is another name for the hood of your car.
Peak
Bonnet
The term bonnet is often used in England and other commonwealth countries instead of hood.
Bowler
Top Hat
What is a 4x4?
A car with four normal tires and four spare tires
A car where drive from the engine is fed to all four wheels at the same time
The first 4x4 vehicles were already invented before the 1990s. In fact, Ferdinand Porsche built an electric 4x4 vehicle in 1899.
A car with 16 different fuel savings modes
None of the above
This describes a convertible car with a fabric roof that can be folded back when the weather allows.
Camber
Drophead
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.
Kit Car
Beemer
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The term used to describe when the tires on a car stop spinning under braking, forcing the car to skid
Lockup
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.
Blipping
Torque Steer
Brake Bias
A whoopty? You bought a whoopty! What is it?
A broken headlight
A worn out, cheap car that just runs
A Whoopty (silent W) is an old, dilapidated car that barely runs.
A car shell without an engine
None of the above
Most boy racers (and real racers) know how to heel and toe effectively. What does this technique entail?
Before turning a corner you apply the brakes and blip the throttle at the same time to keep the revs up for a smooth shift
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.
A modern braking technique
An exercise to use on long trips to stop your feet going numb
None of the above
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What does an oil burner refer to?
A car made before 1910
A car that needs a service
A car running on diesel
An alternative to a petrol driven engine, the first diesel powered cars started appearing on the roads in the 1930s.
A lamp
If your car is understeering, what is it doing?
While cornering, the rear tires lose traction before the front tires
While cornering, the front tires lose traction before the rear tire
As the front tires lose grip while understeering and despite turning the steering wheel, your car will refuse to turn.
While cornering, all tires lose traction
None of the above
What is a Jalopy?
A really old, busted up car.
A Jalopy is an old, busted up car that still runs. It became a common term in the early 1930s.
Another name for a Jeep
A nickname for a Ford Mustang
A nickname for a Chevrolet Corvette
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Quickly pressing the throttle, sometimes two or three times in a row is known as?
Heel and Toe
Upshift
Downshift
Blipping
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.
A suicide door refers to?
A door that opens outwards but is hinged at the back instead of the front
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.
A door that can be locked by the driver, preventing the passenger from exiting
A false door
None of the above
Your car is starting to oversteer through the corners. Explain what is happening.
While cornering, the rear tires lose traction before the front tires
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
While cornering, the front tires lose traction before the rear tires
While cornering, all tires lose traction
None of the above
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This term is used to describe the innermost point of a corner.
Drift
Camber
Mags
Apex
Hitting the apex is important for racing drivers to ensure they go through the corner as efficiently as possible, thus improving their lap time.
Many use this phrase to describe a luxury German make of car.
Chev
Beemer
BMW was founded in Germany in 1916 and originally made aircraft engines. They moved onto motorcycles before producing their first car in 1928.
Deuce
Oldsmobile
"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?
A convertible
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.
A truck
A sedan
A micro car
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This describes the tilt of the front wheels of a car.
Opposite Lock
Understeer
Camber
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.
Oversteer
If you have a 6Banger, what do you have?
A car for transporting moonshine
A car for that has missed a service on six occasions
A car with a 6-cylinder engine
46Banger is a slang term that describes a car with a 6-cylinder engine
None of the above
"You must come see my Barn Find that I discovered yesterday." What is a Barn Find?
A newer model car
A horse
A classic car found in a bad condition
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.
An old wagon
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You need this number for vehicle insurance purposes.
The phone number of your local police
The phone number of your mechanic
The car's vehicle identification number (VIN)
A car's vehicle identification number (VIN) is essentially its fingerprint. No car will have the same VIN as your car.
The phone number of your local gas station
This describes a steering technique where you turn the steering wheel in the other direction to which your car is turning.
Apex
Blipping
Double Clutching
Opposite Lock
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.
If your friend bought a tuna boat, what does he have?
A large car
This slang term describe a large car.
A boat for catching tuna
A small car
None of the above
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Double clutching is?
A technique used when changing to lower gears
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.
A technique that makes the car go faster
A technique where you save petrol while braking
None of the above
A 4Banger refers to what kind of car?
A car used for transporting sausages
A car that has been in four accidents
A car with a 4-cylinder engine
4Banger is a slang term that describes a car with a 4-cylinder engine
None of the above
If you drift, what are you doing in your vehicle?
Turn a corner
Float your vehicle on a river
Go around a corner sideways with the front wheels pointing the opposite way to the turn
Drifting was started by Keiichi Tsuchiya in the mid-1980s and has become a very popular motorsport.
None of the above
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What does the slang term hooning mean?
Driving while pressing the horn repeatedly
Driving in a reckless fashion
Hooning is an Australian slang term for driving recklessly.
Driving with your music turned full blast
None of the above
If someone is buying new mags for their car, what are they getting?
An essential part of the engine
A special form of fuel for your car
Flashy rims for their wheels
Found on most top of the range cars, the rims, or mags have become an essential part of a cars character.
None of the above
White wall _____?
A white interior in a car
A white exterior for a car
A tire with a white band in the sidewall
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.
None of the above
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If you have a pocket rocket what do you have?
A motorcycle
A bicycle
A small but fast car
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.
None of the above
You Got:
/35
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