Words and Phrases from the Road 

Whether you meet up for a Friday Night Cruise or take the family out for a tailgate party at the stadium, you use words and phrases that have grown and changed around the automotive industry. Check out some of the more popular phrases you might encounter around Huntington Beach or anywhere in the USA.

Why is it called a freeway?

When you live in SoCal, of course you use a freeway to get just about anywhere. The rest of the country generally calls limited-access roads highways or interstates. But when the first freeways were developed in the 1930s, publicity for the project told citizens that the road would be, “free of sidewalks, intersections, and traffic.” Also, they would be toll-free, unlike many East Coast projects.

Why do we put it in the boot or the trunk?

The American term trunk comes from the stagecoach days of the Wild West. There would be a shelf on the back of the coach where trunks would be secured for travel. Early motorcars had the same shelf, which later became incorporated into the body design. The UK term boot refers to the box secured to the back of your carriage or automobile where you stored your driving boots.

What does it mean to say, “Pedal to the metal?”

The phrase refers to the gas pedal, but what is the metal? Back in the day, very few cars sported carpeting or vinyl mats on the floor of the cabin. The floorboards were bare steel! When you want to go faster, put that pedal down to the metal!

Why do they mention, “Grab a gear,” when talking about shifting?

Your automatic transmission switches gears for you, but in the glory days of the 1940s and 1950s, many transmissions had a stick poking up out of the floor between the driver and front passenger. You had to grab it to shift gears. Today, you are more likely to hit your paddles in sport mode to downshift on a hill.

Is it polite to say, “Balls to the wall?”

Does your mother raise an eyebrow when your buds say, “He had it balls to the wall when he blew by!” It’s not what it sounds like.

In the early days of steam power–for cars and trains–there was a device called a centrifugal governor that sported a pair of metal balls that would spin around a pole once the engine started to produce steam. When the engine reached maximum power, the balls would fly straight out at a 90-degree angle, or instead pointing to the wall. So, go ahead! You can say that around the dinner table.

What is a jalopy, anyway?

Does your dad still like to take his old jalopy out for coffee and cars every Saturday? The word first popped up in popular use in the mid-20s. It was commonly said that used-up old cars were sent to Jalapa, Mexico for resale. So, if you bought a jalopy, it was going to need some work.

Today, the term is used to refer to rides from the 30s, 40s, and 50s that have been modded, restored, rodded, and fixed-up for fun. A jalopy will never be pristine, mint, or a true restoration.

Is it time for a new ride for the family?

Even the word car is often replaced with “ride” in modern times. Bet you have other phrases and terms. When you need service for your vehicle or a new ride, find what you need when you visit the dealerships of Beach Boulevard of Cars in Huntington Beach.