Rubber

Here is an interesting expression for you: “where the rubber hits the road” or “where the rubber meets the road”.

A literal interpretation of rubber hitting the road. Pic: kayeflack.com

It is a useful little idiom which – unsurprisingly – originated from racing.  When the rubber of the tires hits the road, that’s when the car starts moving.

It is now used much more broadly and with different meanings in different contexts.  So it isn’t easy to give a comprehensive explanation of this idiom.  Let’s try, though:

It can mean “when things get serious” or indicate the point at which reality must be faced, or the point at which a decision or a stand must be taken, the time when talking stops and the action must begin.

Some examples:

“This strategy sounds very promising but it’s the implementation of these ideas where the rubber meets the road.”

“You have to stand by your spouse not just in good times but also through bad times.  That’s where the rubber hits the road.”

An example from recent politics in the UK:  “David Cameron today warned his Cabinet ‘this is where the rubber hits the road’ as the Government prepares itself to unveil swingeing spending cuts within weeks.”

If you like science you will appreciate this quote (abbreviated, the article is here):  “Arguably the most difficult aspect of science-based medicine is where the rubber hits the road, so to speak. That’s where scientists and physicians take the results of preclinical studies (…) to humans.”

Travel related expressions

Travel is fun.  At least it used to be.

Air travel and in particular domestic air travel has become almost unbearable here in the US:  gone are the days of generous helpings of microscopic pretzels, or tiny packages of peanuts, gone the days of blankets, pillows, and of whole cans of diet coke.  We live in the era of BYOF (bring your own food), buy unhealthy snacks with fancy names such as the “Traveler Delight Deluxe Indulgence” (I made this name up) at steep prices, or just don’t eat.

If your cold, there is always a blanket to be purchased and if you are thirsty they’ll offer you a small cup filled 90% with ice cubes and 10% coke.

With that complaint out of my system let’s focus on some travel – most not air travel – related expressions:

When you start your trip by car you “hit the road”.  No actual hitting involved.  An example would be” “it’s getting late, kids, and we need to drive all the way back to San Francisco.  Let’s hit the road!”

A typical Sunday driver? pic: forums.anandtech.com

When you are the driver, the last thing you want to have to deal with, aside from snow, torrential rains, traffic jams, screaming kids, and an empty gas tank in the middle of nowhere is a “backseat driver”.   These guys (mainly man, really) are passengers who critique or criticize your driving and constantly tell you what to do or what you should have done or should never do, or could have done better in that situation.

Oh, and the there are the “Sunday drivers” – very same thing as the German “Sonntagsfahrer”: drivers who driver very infrequently, are therefore inexperienced and scared, drive way too slow, swerve all over the road, and make you do crazy things to get by them.

On second thought, maybe air travel isn’t so bad after all.