Car Idioms and What They Mean
Car idioms help us talk about control, speed, effort, and problems in life. These expressions come from driving and are often used in everyday English. Here are 14 car idioms, what they mean, and how to use them.
Hit the road
To leave or start a trip.
It’s time to hit the road and go home.
They hit the road early for their trip.
Backseat driver
Someone who gives unwanted advice, especially while someone else is doing something.
Stop being a backseat driver and let me work.
She’s always a backseat driver on road trips.
Put the pedal to the metal
To go very fast.
Let’s put the pedal to the metal and finish this work.
He put the pedal to the metal and sped off.
In the driver’s seat
To be in control of a situation.
She’s in the driver’s seat now that she’s the manager.
I’m not in the driver’s seat on this project anymore.
Shift gears
To change what you are doing or how you are thinking.
After the break, the team shifted gears to focus on a new idea.
We need to shift gears and try something else.
Put the brakes on
To slow down or stop something.
The company put the brakes on the new plan.
He had to put the brakes on spending too much money.
Jump-start something
To start something quickly or give it new energy.
She helped jump-start my career.
We need to jump-start this project today.
Crash and burn
To fail completely and quickly.
His business idea crashed and burned.
I studied nothing and crashed and burned on the test.
Running on empty
To have no energy left.
I’m running on empty after working all day.
She’s been running on empty for weeks.
Reinvent the wheel
To waste time creating something that already exists.
Don’t reinvent the wheel—just use the old design.
He wrote new rules, but he was reinventing the wheel.
Grease the wheels
To make something go more smoothly.
Good planning can grease the wheels for success.
He gave a small gift to grease the wheels of the deal.
Bumpy ride
A difficult time.
It’s been a bumpy ride, but we’re doing okay.
The start of the project was a bumpy ride.
Go the extra mile
To make extra effort to do something well.
She always goes the extra mile for her students.
If you go the extra mile, people notice.
Take the wheel
To take control or responsibility.
She asked him to take the wheel while she rested.
When no one else would help, he took the wheel.
