61 replies to this topic

[Andrew Hope]

After watching a random Youtube video and hearing a driver's slide across the wet grass on the outside of a corner being referred to as a 'worm burner', thought it would be a good idea to start up a thread where we can post all our funny, clever, disgusting, dirty, annoying and just plain hilarious slang terms we've come across in motorsports.

Me? Apart from worm burner, I have nothing. But some of you do, so post'em up! Can be anything car, racing, team, grid girl, etc. -related, I'm sure someone has some beauties from over the years.

Edited by andrew., 27 April 2010 - 04:31.

[Classic Ferrari]

Just begin every sentence with 'for sure' and every driver will instantly understand, while the jurnos will stare at you with confusion.

[pingu666]

up on the wheel

[Pharazon]

on a charge - legardism for doing anything from driving fast to taking a dump seemingly

[craigsimons1993]

on a charge - legardism for doing anything from driving fast to taking a dump seemingly

so true!

[Marbles]

Some amateur track day slang:

Orthodontist, ortho·don'tist n: A slow (nice) guy in a very nice car.

Lawyer: A slow jerk in a nice car that ignores track day rules, often by holding up traffic in the twisty bits and overtaking on the straights.

Lawyer Killer: A first generation 911 turbo--not necessarily a track term, but a personal favorite.

"The Nomex crowd:" How lawyers identify themselves absent their nice cars.

"For real:" A skilled driver. "Watch out for the yellow GT3, he's for real."

"State Trooper:" A skilled driver. Police, especially police driving instructors, are often phenomenal drivers and teachers.

"Getting there:" A car, often a clapped out Miata or 3-series, that has been raced for years and whose sole original component is its slightly bend chassis. Example: Orthodontist: "I've never seen a Miata go so fast, what have you done to it?" State Trooper: "Not too much, I can still drive it here, but it's getting there. [While thinking to himself, 'One of these days I'll have your butt on the back straight]."

Gotta keep the wife/husband happy: The reason why you're slow. Example: "I'd like to tear out the interior and put a racing suspension on it, but that means I'd have to trailer it. Oh well, gotta keep the wife happy. Did I mention she wants to redo the kitchen? Yup, these tires have to last all year."

[Owen]

The Silver Donkey - McLaren MP4-24
The Silver Limo - McLaren MP4-25 (extra long wheelbase)
Teflonso - Spanish F1 driver who appears to escape blame or responsibility
Trulli Train - A description of cars getting stuck behind Jarno Trulli (this doesn't happen so much now)
Smax or Maxxx - Former president of the FIA involved in tabloid scandal
Flabio - Former Renault F1 team prinicpal
Team Deutschland - Mercedes GP Team

[Captain Tightpants]

Lewis Hamilton - James Allen's way of referring to Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton - James Allen's way of referring to the guy in front of Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton - James Allen's way of referring to the guy behind Lewis Hamilton.
Lewis Hamilton - James Allen's way of referring to whoever is on screen at the time, even if Lewis Hamilton is on the other side of the circuit or out.

[KiloWatt]

A few personal favourites:

Webber (n): 1. enduring misfortune. "I've got a bad case of the Webbers. My wife left me for my best mate, i got fired from work, my house has termites and i just got diagonsed with cancer."

fisi (adj): 1 serving no purpose; unavailing. 2 colloq. feeble or ineffectual (fisi at swimming) fisily adv. fisiness n.

ralf (n): devoid of any talent ("you're ralf in this car!" - Flavio Britorie firing Trulli, 2004). Also a name for a german henchman hired by Japanese car manufacturers....

Flav (n) : 1. to demonstrate a lack of morals. As in "I can't believe you walked out on her when she's pregnant with your child, you must be a total and utter Flav". 2. Also to wear clothing inappropriate for one's age and station, "what on earth are you doing in that thong, makes you look a right flav". n.b in its last usuage this word is interchangeable with "being a Ronzo". As in "that leather jacket makes you look a right Ronzo".

Ecclestone (n): 1 (usu. applied to a male) person who deludes himself as to his importance etc. 2 pastime or hobby on which a person is besotted (hang-gliding is her ecclestone) 3a rubbish, nonsense (I've heard the rumour - it's an utter ecclestone) b self-indulgent posturing (what an ecclestone his farewell speech turned out to be!) 4 cotushie colloq. act or instance of masturbating.

Edited by KiloWatt, 27 April 2010 - 09:30.

[Tenmantaylor]

Hotlapper - Someone who spends hour after hour trying to nail the best time yet completely lacks the ability to string two or more laps together or indeed finish a race.

Guy 1 "I raced Chris the other night on rFactor, he had pole by 0.5s then in the rave led the first lap then binned it under pressure"
Guy 2 "What a hotlapper"

Edited by Tenmantaylor, 27 April 2010 - 09:30.

[stevewf1]

Quite honestly, I think this could be an interesting thread...

Of course, there's always been Balls to the wall.

[Atic Atac]

Not strictly slang, but I love this proverb:

"If in doubt, flat out"

Edited by Atic Atac, 27 April 2010 - 10:23.

[stevewf1]

Not strictly slang, but I love this proverb:

"If in doubt, flat out"

Jackie Stewart: "If in doubt, both feet out".

[Dolph]

Not slang, but Häkkinen talking up Räikkonen to Ron Dennis "So I said to Dennis: If you wanna win, get the Fin"

[Youichi]

Trulli Train - A description of cars getting stuck behind Jarno Trulli (this doesn't happen so much now)

Also, the car on the motorway/dual-carridgeway who insists in sitting in the overtaking lane doing exactly (or under) the legal limit, and never moving over. e.g. "I got stuck behind a right Trulli on the M4"

This also leads to:- a Trulli road, a stretch of road which for some reason seems to induce this behavior. e.g "I hate the A34, its a right Trulli road".

[rhukkas]

Bandit: A term originated in karting but has filtered it's way through to F1 (Brundle refered to 'the bandits at the back' in one such instance.) In karting it refered to racers who put little effort in their appearence or drove in a dodgy manner.

"Look at that driver, he's such a bandit" "Don't wear that you'll look like a bandit" etc...

[gillymuse]

Kerb - Something you must hug like your favourite granny.

[Lesov]

Skid Lid - Helmet

[FonzCam]

Just begin every sentence with 'for sure' and every driver will instantly understand, while the jurnos will stare at you with confusion.

Don't forget to always talk about yourself in the first person plural.

"We were running well but then we got stuck behind the Trulli-Train and then we went for a banzai move and we spun. We'll drive better next race."

Edited by FonzCam, 27 April 2010 - 15:51.

[threep]

nerf - accidental or possibly unsportsmanlike car to car contact, usually from behind on the way into a corner, often resulting in a change of position E.g. I was nerfed off
kitty litter - gravel trap, where you may end up as a result of a nerf E.g. I was nerfed off into the kitty litter
boonies - a winderness area so far off the track that you can no longer see it due to weeds and tall grass

[Owen]

mullered

1 Broken, smashed or beaten up to the point of being visisbly altered or unusuable.
2 Resoundingly beaten.

[OfficeLinebacker]

"Using the chrome horn" to nerf a Trulli out of your way.

[chuffbiscuits]

"Snookered" - nerfed obliquely from the rear, leading to a "snooker shot" as you go off at an angle.

[Mackey]

Teflonso - Spanish F1 driver who appears to escape blame or responsibility

I think that definition matches better with your beloved Hamilton.;)

[Disgrace]

"Into the kitty litter."

"And it's an early shower."

"He's off!"

"And it's just a toboggan."

"Straight to the scene of the accident."

"Splash and dash."

"Back in the mix."

[Mila]

from the world of sidecar racing--"monkey seat."

[Fastcake]

I think that definition matches better with your beloved Hamilton.;)

Did you watch 2008?;)

[FNG]

Ran out of talent- Refers to when a driver has a an off due to his own error.

[Mandzipop]

Teflonso - Spanish F1 driver who appears to escape blame or responsibility

Derived from: Teflon is a nickname given to persons, particularly in politics, to whom criticism does not seem to stick. The term comes from Teflon, the brand name of a "non-stick" chemical used on cookware, and was first applied to the American President Ronald Reagan. This word has been combined with Alonso and therefore has become Teflonso.

Unfortunately Alonso is the only driver on the grid with a name that can be obviously physically intergrated with Teflon to be obvious as to which driver it is referring to.

I'll try (very badly) to make one up.

Its a Turkey - 3 races won on the trot or 3 poles on the trot.

[JacnGille]

Off song: an engine that is no longer running optimally.

[wayneamartin]

pushy-loose - handling problem in which you are not sure if the nose or the tail will hit the wall first. most common in vintage racing, see NASCAR

[Madera]

1) Erv the swerve.

The mobile chicane.

2) Good thing he was wearing his Brain Bucket.

[pingu666]

do a jon field - go flat out at the start of the stint with complete disregard for the tyres

[Talisker]

Whip the clay pigeon

Straddle the butchers bench

Brewstering like a breezy anvil

Sparrow chipped

Skimming the greasers nosebag

Noodled by the ketchup

Taking on a halibut

Flaming the mutton

Most of these originated in Division 3 Lada Niva drag racing in NW Scotland in the late 80s. Those were fun times. If only "Marble Bear" McKay was here to see it today. A real hero.

Edited by Talisker, 28 April 2010 - 05:26.

[ViMaMo]

There is a commentator on Star Sports for MotoGP. Keeps saying "This is motogp at its very very best" for each and every race.

So "very very best" meaning an exacerbated set of words for otherwise normal state of things.

[Gilles12]

Hillbilly wrestling on wheels - NASCAR

[Tenmantaylor]

Stellar - Brundlism, often used to describe an excellent lap, race or entire weekend by driver who has so far evaded praise. Usually a driver from a lower team who comes 7th, or a midfield driver whos gets into Q3 or on the podium.

"Kubica has been absolutely Stellar this year"

Edited by Tenmantaylor, 28 April 2010 - 08:13.

[stevewf1]

"fell off the road"

"failed to make the required turn"

"out-braked himself"

"got behind in his steering"

[Owen]

Another Brundlism; 'ambition exceeded adhesion'

[pgj]

Driving eyeballs out.

Fell off the island.

[sportzgal82]

A box full of nutrals(sp?) - when a driver cant change out of first cause his gear is stuck

When we use to have those pentalies where a driver had to stop in their pit box for 10 secs it was refered to as a Stop and Go

Edited by sportzgal82, 28 April 2010 - 09:01.

[alfista]

Just begin every sentence with 'for sure' and every driver will instantly understand, while the jurnos will stare at you with confusion.

...and in the same time end every sentence with "you know" like one certain Juan Pablo M, you know

[pgj]

Getting 'T' Boned - speared from the side by the nose of another car.

[threep]

A box full of nutrals(sp?) - when a driver cant change out of first cause his gear is stuck

neutrals - and it means when you have no gears at all, i.e. the gearbox is completely shot

[Tenmantaylor]

Another Brundlism; 'ambition exceeded adhesion'

Remember this debuting at Sepang 07 or 08 when Massa span coming out of the double right hander getting on the throttle too much.

[evo]

i don't think brundlisms = racing slangs, nor was that the idea of the OP.


haven't got anything, however.

[Marbles]

I don't think these have been mentioned yet,

Breathe/Breathe the Throttle: To very slightly ease off the throttle, normally used to counter understeer in a fast corner that can't quite be taken flat out.

Pinch: What you try to do when you should've breathed the throttle.

Crab: Allowing the car to drift in toward apex under braking and subsequently forcing an early apex. A hard habit to break.

Flow: Driving effortlessly and in rhythm with the track. Being in the zone.

Present: How you start a pass, by announcing your intention in the breaking zone, especially if you're going to overtake on the inside of a corner. The opposite of the contemporary F1 ambush or fait accompli pass.

Edited by Marbles, 29 April 2010 - 09:35.

[Tenmantaylor]

Closed the door: Reaction to a Present.

[Dispenser89]

He/She needs a Horlicks: Driver is having a slow few laps/stint.

[djned]

Lewis Hamilton - James Allen's way of referring to Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton - James Allen's way of referring to the guy in front of Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton - James Allen's way of referring to the guy behind Lewis Hamilton.
Lewis Hamilton - James Allen's way of referring to whoever is on screen at the time, even if Lewis Hamilton is on the other side of the circuit or out.

i love you.