Ultimate Hot Rod Dictionary: A-Bombs to Zoomies

by Jeff Breitenstein

Every hot rodding magazine ever published (not to mention numerous books and countless web sites) has taken stabs at creating comprehensive glossaries of automotive enthusiasts terms and phrases. Finally Motorbooks has done it right with the publication of The Ultimate Hot Rod Dictionary. The title says it all. This book is 243 pages thick and includes more than 1,600 words and phrases, with definitions, phrase origins and examples of usage. In addition,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0760318239
• ISBN13: 9780760318232
• Release Date: June 2004
• Publisher: Motorbooks International
• Length: 244 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Very Pleased

This dictionary was recommended by HOT ROD magazine, and having been an avid reader for over 25 years I figured I give it a try. It's great to have a resource like this to explain some of the obscure terms I've heard over the many years. It is also great simply as a book that rests on the back of the pot for lazy, yet fun, afternoon reads. The author injects good historical context behind the terms as well, so you really get a feeling for how those terms came to be.

Buick, Buford, Bu

Rod and custom fans will love this book but it's also a treasure for those of us who prefer our "iron" stock. I knew that Studebaker can easily become "Baker" - to give an example not cited in this volume - but I had to read Breitenstein to learn that a Buick is a "Buford". Or a super-cool "Bu". Tom Wolfe should discover this book if he hasn't already. It's full of candy-colored hip-and-sly humor and illuminates a lively decades-old subculture - you just have to love it. Whether or not you tool around in a hopped-up Chevy Biscayne ("Biscuit").

A must for every hot rod enthusiast of any level

Finally the answer in the hot rod world. This book covers many terms new and old over many generas in the sport of hot rodding. Easy dictionary form allows you took look up terms quickly and easily. Illustrations are great and give you a picture explanation of the terms. Wether your a veteran hot rodder, new comer or just looking for an explanation for a term used. This book is a must on your shelf.

Long Overdue

This book is long overdue. Over the past decades I have seen many feeble attempts made to document the broad and colorful language of the hot rodder. The Ultimate Hot Rod Dictionary puts all previous efforts to shame. With over 1,600 words, phrases and expressions represented - spanning nearly a full century of experience - this book should be considered the "ultimate authority" on the specialized language of a unique American subculture. Author Bretenstein very clearly knows his material.What made this book so appealing to me is that it goes well beyond the curt, skeletal definitions found in most dictionaries and includes a wealth of history, etymologies (word origins) as well as plenty of fun trivia. There is a staggering amount of information crammed into the book's 243 pages , but I have yet to find any inaccuracies . The material is "dead-on." Bretenstein has clearly done his homework. I have also found that the book has broad appeal. The Ultimate Hot Rod Dictionary is very enlightening and it's ideal for beginners, but those readers who feel they already know the subject should prepare to be humbled ;nobody knows all of this stuff. What's more, the book's writing style is clear and fluent making for a most pleasurable read. Conclusion: The Ultimate Hot Rod Dictionary is a "must have" for any rodding, drag, custom or musclecar enthusiast!

a wealth of information

This unpretentious little book is a gold mine of information. It was so thorough I couldn't believe it. I tried to think up every obscure name or subject, and it had them all. It had all the old, 40's and 50's jargon, but the latest ones too. The illustrations, though not lavish by any means, aid in explaining the definitions. Do yourself a favor - buy this book!