More US vocab help please

by **jonesthecurl** on Thu Sep 26, 2013 7:26 pm

OK so this isn't for the comedy - I'm writing a murder mystery game, and I need a good word for an old car.
You know how some people buy beat-up cars and soup them up and then sell 'em?
SO waht would you call the old car?
A Jalopy? A clunker? A wreck? An old crock? or what?

by **Serbia** on Thu Sep 26, 2013 7:34 pm

First thing that came to mind, even before reading your list, was jalopy.

Bollocks.

by **Evil Semp** on Thu Sep 26, 2013 7:38 pm

Serbia wrote:First thing that came to mind, even before reading your list, was jalopy.

Bollocks.

That was also the first think I thought of. I also call them a POS.

by **john9blue** on Thu Sep 26, 2013 8:11 pm

clunkers.

obama has a program called "cash for clunkers" so the term should be well-known

i've only heard the term "jalopy" once.

by **Phatscotty** on Thu Sep 26, 2013 8:12 pm

hoopty

by **jonesthecurl** on Thu Sep 26, 2013 8:29 pm

Phatscotty wrote:hoopty

That's a new one to me. It has a nice sound though.

by **macbone** on Thu Sep 26, 2013 9:06 pm

If it's no good, a lemon. Clunker works, too. Jalopy is a little older (lemon is, too). Hoopty's newer slang. =)

by **jonesthecurl** on Thu Sep 26, 2013 9:08 pm

Lemon I like. The character is an older character, so probably wouldn't use "hoopty", even though I like the sound of it.

by **Phatscotty** on Thu Sep 26, 2013 9:29 pm

by **jonesthecurl** on Thu Sep 26, 2013 10:45 pm

I'm gonna use it though.
"Ooh, hoopty car ya got there!"
My contemporaries will probably think it's a compliment.

by **hahaha3hahaha** on Thu Sep 26, 2013 10:59 pm

-deleted-

by **EBConquer** on Thu Sep 26, 2013 11:30 pm

How about just straight ol' "beater". Jalopy is also good. Not sure what your target demographic is, so not sure if "hoopty" applies. Although if it's a HUGE a$$ beater in the ghetto, then yes, it would be good.

EDIT:

by **jonesthecurl** on Fri Sep 27, 2013 12:07 am

The game is running in the local library as a part of the centenary celebrations - (incidentally we're doing it cheap as it's a fundraiser) - I'm guessing that the customers will be mainly library users, and thus not gangstas.

by **Lootifer** on Fri Sep 27, 2013 12:18 am

Lemon is pretty international. Never heard of Hoopty or Jalopy myself so I presume if you want an American specific example id use one of those over a lemon.

by **thegreekdog** on Fri Sep 27, 2013 7:59 am

I thought hoopty was not a reference to an old car (rather it was a reference to a tricked-out car - i.e. one with a lot of modifications).

I would use jalopy.

by **oVo** on Fri Sep 27, 2013 10:41 am

Jalopy and lemon both labels for cars still being driven,
but are basically crap.

A car can be a lemon even when it is brand new off the lot,
simply because it everything isn't working as advertised.

by **jonesthecurl** on Fri Sep 27, 2013 11:04 am

I've certainly heard it used like that.

by **oVo** on Fri Sep 27, 2013 11:10 am

A lemon is typically anything that didn't function properly right from the start. In the US some states even have "Lemon Laws" to guarantee new cars work as advertised or are replaced to the satisfaction of the buyer.

A person with a crappy ride might also say "I'm driving that heap."

by **BigBallinStalin** on Fri Sep 27, 2013 12:35 pm

Best go with 'jalopy'.

by **thegreekdog** on Fri Sep 27, 2013 1:30 pm

jonesthecurl wrote:I've certainly heard it used like that.

There are many, many billboards in southern New Jersey advertising law firms who deal with lemon law. It seems to be an epedimic in the garden state.

by **2dimes** on Fri Sep 27, 2013 1:32 pm

No car guys here huh?

Beater.

Amended: I just read EBconquerer's post. ~highfive~

by **oVo** on Fri Sep 27, 2013 2:10 pm

thegreekdog wrote:There are many, many billboards in southern New Jersey advertising law firms who deal with lemon law. It seems to be an epidemic in the garden state.

Is this related to the resale of flood cars written off as total loses after Hurricane Sandy? They could be labelled Mudderfuckers or swamp buggies. Many years ago I actually owned a VW bug convertible that turned out to be a flood car and aside from the floor rusting out in the back, was never a problem.

by **fadedpsychosis** on Sat Sep 28, 2013 5:57 am

oVo wrote: Many years ago I actually owned a VW bug convertible that turned out to be a flood car and aside from the floor rusting out in the back, was never a problem.

how is this not a problem?