How Well Do You Speak Hot Rod Slang?

By: Craig
Estimated Completion Time
6 min
How Well Do You Speak Hot Rod Slang?
Image: YouTube

About This Quiz

You can't deny the power of the hot rod, from the sheer visual excitement of watching it perform, to the culture of the many people who love them. Like just about any other pursuit, the hot rod culture comes with its own unique way of communicating. If you've ever been to a car show (and we're not taking about the one that the major car manufacturers put on every year), then you've probably noticed that there are a few words and phrases that seem... well, different. If you want to fit in, you'd better learn them fast.

People who love hot rods probably don't go around spouting hot rod lingo in their daily lives, but the culture does demand that you know how to speak hot rod. So, if you understand the meaning of words such as "alky," "hot licks," and "mouse," then you might just be able to ace this quiz. We'll give you those ones for free: : alky refers to an alcohol based fuel, hot licks refers to the flames painted on the side of a car, and mouse refers to a small block Chevy engine.

Do you speak hot rod slang? Take this quiz to find out how much of the lingo you can identify.

What is a roll cage reffering to?
A place to keep your stuffed lion good luck charm
None of these answers are correct
A small cage where drivers keep their keys when not driving
Interior strengthening of the body to provide protection for the driver
Made out of steel tubes, this is necessary on all hot rods that are racing to provide protection for the driver
Your friend tells you he is coming to show you his new roadster. What will he be showing you?
A car that can only travel on smooth roads
A make of Chevy
A convertible with two seats and no side windows
Roadsters are very popular in the hot rod community. These convertibles have seats for a driver and passenger and no side windows, just a front windshield.
None of the above
What does it mean when hot rod parts are said to be repro?
Incredibly expensive
Available at a knock-down price
None of these answers is correct
Reproduction parts
Repro refers to reproduction parts for hot rods. Sometimes getting original parts for older cars is difficult and reproductions are used instead.

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What does RPM stand for?
A measurement of how fast the engine is turning (Revolution Per Minute)
Know an engine's RPM is crucial, especially on a manual vehicle. Normally a gauge will be able to tell you how fast the engine is running.
A calculation of how many hot rods turned up for an event (Rods Per Meet)
A special hot rod parade in Montreal (Rod Parade Montreal)
None of the above
In hot rod slang, what is an A-Bone?
The hot rod slang term for an Aston Martin DB9.
The hot rod slang term for a Ford Focus.
The hot rod slang term for a Ford Model A (1928 to 1931 model).
The Ford Model A is a favorite of hot rodders. This was the predecessor of the Model T and came in four colors.
None of the above.
In the world of hot rods, what does it mean to dig out?
Brake hard
Accelerate hard
In hot rodding, if you dig out, you are hitting the accelerator pedal as hard as possible, causing your hot rod to accelerate at the fastest it can
Stop for a burger
None of the above

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Many hot rods have a NOS system. What is it?
The front of the car
The car interior behind the driver
A system that speeds up the car through the use of a Nitrous Oxide injection
A Nitrous Oxide system installed on a hot rod gives an instant increase in power when deployed. It only lasts for a few seconds, however.
None of the above
What does a scoop on a hot rod refer to?
An air flow device on the hood of the car
A scoop sits on the hot rod's bonnet where it forces air through an intake and into the engine .
A small tool used to take out spark plugs
A bucket seat
None of the above
Alky refers to what in hot rod slang?
Fuel
Alky is hot rod slang for fuel used in racing. This is either methyl alcohol or methanol.
A bottle of bourbon
A six-pack of beer
None of the above

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If someone spoke to you about baby moons at the local hot rod meet, what would they be talking about?
A seat in the hot rod for your child
Small round hubcaps
These small hubcaps only cover the center of the wheel. They are usually made out of chrome.
A small spare tire
None of the above
Boots commonly refer to?
Tires
In hot rodding, tires are often called boots.
Specialised hot rod footwear
A secret compartment for your shoes
None of the above
If a hot rod aficionado mentioned the word hydro, what would they be speaking about?
The handbrake
A manual transmission
An automatic transmission
Hydro refers to an automatic transmission and comes from the '50s term Hydromatic, the name of transmissions on General Motors cars in that decade.
None of the above

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A coupe refers to what when it comes to hot rod vehicles?
A hot rod with a roof
A hot rod with four seats
A hot rod with just a front seat
A popular form of hot rod, a couple only has a front seat
None of the above
What does it mean if your hot rod is flamed?
It has flames decals as decoration
Flame decals are extremely popular. When a hot rod if flamed, it will have these decals placed on the side running from the front of the vehicle to the back
It blasts fire from its exhaust
It burnt out
None of the above
What does it mean to make a Louie in your hot rod?
Break wind
A right-hand turn
None of these answers
A left-hand turn
Making a Louie means you have turned left in your hot rod.

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A Resto Rod refers to?
An older vehicle with modern parts
A Resto Rod is a normal looking hot rod but with mostly modern components under the hood.
A Nissan
A Toyota
None of the above
Your hot rod buddy mentioned a new mouse motor he wants to buy. What is he talking about?
A pet mouse in wheel you keep on your dashboard
A non-American motor
A small block Chevy engine
These small block Chevy engines were first manufactured in 1955.
None of the above
Your friend tells you to sit in the rumble seat of his hot rod. Where should you sit?
A seat next to the driver
A seat on the finish line at a hot rod drag contest
A folding seat in the rear of the car situated where the trunk normally is
This seat is in the back of a hot rod. It folds to take up less space and is usually uncovered.
None of the above

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In the world of hot rods, what is an Anglebox?
A box for your beverages
A box for your tools
A box for your lunch
British hot rod slang for a Ford Anglia
The Anglia was designed by Ford UK and over 1,5 million were built between 1939 and 1967. These are popular cars to turn into hot rods in Britain.
What are binders on a hot rod?
Brakes
Brakes bind right and bring you to a stop. That's why hot rodders call them binders
Accelerator pedal
Choke Lever
None of the above
What does it mean if your hot rod is chopped?
The roof has been lowered
Only hot rods with a hard top can be chopped and the roof lowered for a more aggressive look
It has been stolen
It was in an accident
None of the above

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What is a drag strip in hot rodding?
The Las Vegas strip
A track where drag racing takes place
A drag strip is a purpose built racetrack for hot rods to race on. It is normally a quarter-mile long.
None of these answers is correct
The road outside a strip joint for drag artists
What does a Hemi refer to in hot rod slang?
A hot rod in honor of Ernest Hemingway
A hot rod in honor of Hermione Granger from Harry Potter
An engine built by Chrysler
A Hemi is a high-performance motor made by Chrysler. It features hemispherical heads and is known for its incredible performance.
None of the above
Push the loud pedal! What is it?
None of these is correct
Clutch
Brake
Accelerator
A loud pedal refers to the accelerator. Press it and the motor gets louder as the car goes faster

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If a hot rod is running on rails, what is it?
A perfect handling hot rod
A slang term to describe when a hot rod is driving and handling perfectly .
A hot rod modified to run on a train track
A hot rod racing a train
None of the above
A Poncho hot rod is what famous American car brand?
Pontiac
In the world of hot rods, a Poncho is any form of Pontiac. The brand was founded in 1926 and named after an Native American chief.
Peugeot
Chevrolet
None of the above
What is a blower?
A mechanical driven supercharger
Mechanical driven superchargers are popular in the world of hot rods. They do not include turbochargers, however.
An in-car phone
The horn
None of the above

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Your friend recently bought a grocery getter. What did he purchase?
A hot rod for use on the farm
A hot rod for transporting fresh produce
A hot rod used for store runs
Hot rods are not just about flying down the quarter-mile. They are for showing off as well and what a great way to do it on a trip to the store!
None of the above
A B-400 hot rod refers to?
A Toyota Yaris
A 1932 Ford Convertible
A B-400 refers to a two-door 1932 Ford sedan popular in hot rodding.
A Chev Cruze
None of the above
A Deuce is one of the most famous hot rods around. What make of car is it?
1932 Ford
The 1932 Ford is one of the most sought after bodies to turn into a hot rod.
2017 Chevy
1975 Datsun
None of the above

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In the world of hot rods, what is a brain bucket?
An engine cover
The bonnet of the car
None of these is correct
A racing helmet
In any form of racing, it is important to protect your head. Always wear a helmet.
A rat rod refers to?
A hot rod saved from a barn full of rats
A hot rod that imitates cars from the early years of hot rodding but exaggerates them
Over the past decade, rat rods have become more popular in the world of hot rodding.
A hot rod that is grey in color and squeaks
None of the above
What does it mean to make a Roscoe in your hot rod?
A right turn
Making a Roscoe means you have turned right in your hot rod.
A left turn
Break wind
None of the above

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What are the balonies on a hot rod?
Brakes
None of these answers are correct
Tires
There are many hot rod terms for tires, including balonies.
Gears
What is a flat head?
An engine
A flathead is a Ford V8 engine manufactured between 1932 and 1953 where the valves are located in the cylinder block
The bonnet of the car
The rear of the car
The roof of the car
A banjo wheel refers to what part of your hot rod?
A tire
A spare wheel
A steering wheel
Banjo wheels are used to describe steering wheels that were on Ford vehicles in 1939.
None of the above

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A beast is?
A slang term for an ugly hot rod
Are there really ugly hot rods? Apparently so, and they are termed beasts!
A new sedan
A large 4x4
None of the above
Hides refer to what part of the hot rod?
Tires
In the world of hot rods, tires have many names. Hides is one.
A covering on the dashboard
A blanket on the rear seat
None of the above
A Bucket T is based on what vehicle?
A hot rod based on the Model T Ford
A Ford Model T turned into a hot rod is fondly known as a Bucket T
A hot rod based on a Toyota
A hot rod based on a Tesla
None of the above

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If you had a rag top hot rod, what would it be?
The roof of the car
None of these answers are correct
A hot rod convertible
A hot rod convertible is called a rag top
A hot rod with a rusty roof
You Got:
/40
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