ESL Podcast 530 - Exterior Parts of a Car
pain in the neck - a person who is very annoying, making things more difficult or frustrating
Your little brother is such a pain in the neck! Can't you get him to leave us alone?
hood - the large, flat piece of metal at the front of a car that opens to give access to the engine and other mechanical parts
Is that smoke coming out from under the hood? What's wrong with your car?
taillight - one of the two red lights on the back of a car
The policeman stopped her car to tell her that one of the taillights had burned out.
windshield - the large window in the front of a car; the window a driver looks through to see where the car is going
It was raining so hard we could hardly see through the windshield.
side mirror - one of the two mirrors on each side of the car that let the driver see what is behind the car
Look in your side mirror before you change lanes!
headlight - one of the two lights on the front of the car that let the driver see where the car is going at night
Please turn on your headlights. It isn't safe to drive if you can't see where you're going.
tire - the thick piece of rubber that is filled with air and goes around the wheel of a car or bicycle
Do you think we need to put more air in the bicycle tires?
hubcap - the flat, circular piece of metal that covers the side of a tire, used for decoration
When we bought our car, the dealer offered to sell us special hubcaps, but we decided to use the plain ones that were already on the car.
tailpipe - the round, metal tube located under the back of a car that hot gases come out of when a car is turned on
It is very dangerous to breathe the air that comes out of a car's tailpipe.
to get lost - to go away and leave someone alone; to leave a place and/or a person
You've been following me around all day. Get lost! I have things to do!
to look over (one's) shoulder - to closely observe what another person is doing, especially when that person doesn't want to be watched
Samuel says he could do his work a lot more quickly if his boss weren't always looking over his shoulder, making him feel self-conscious.
roof rack - the pieces of metal or plastic that are attached to the top of one's car, used to hold skis, bicycles, suitcases, boxes, and other large things that need to be taken somewhere and would not otherwise fit inside the car
How many bicycles can fit on your roof rack?
windshield wiper - one of two long pieces of metal, plastic and rubber that move across the windshield to move rainwater so that the driver can see through the windshield
It's really raining hard now! Can't you make the windshield wipers move any more quickly?
for sure - definitely; certainly; describing something that will happen without a doubt
We're going to be at your wedding, for sure. We wouldn't miss it for anything.
graceful - attractive, moving smoothly, polite, and pleasant
She's such a graceful ballerina!
to gloat - to brag; to talk about one's good luck or success, especially when other people are not as lucky or successful
It's very rude of Tsiang to gloat about her new job when she knows that none of her friends have been able to find a job yet.
grill - the vertical or horizontal pieces of metal on the front of a car that protect the engine and radiator
Please don't forget to wash all the dead bugs off the grill.