Used Car Salesman Jargon by Greg Zyla

It's to a consumer's advantage if he or she understands used car salesman jargon. Spoken on lots coast-to-coast, this distinct vernacular is used daily, allowing salespeople the ability to communicate with other car peddlers directly in front of the unwitting consumer they are trying to sell.

For instance, if a used car salesman tells his colleague that your car is a "rubbernose" worth a "nickel," the reality of the sentence could well upset you. So, in keeping with the best interests of "Cruisin'" over the years, here's the first of two "Used Car Salesman Jargon" columns we'll file for our readers. Lock these definitions into your memory, as they could mean the difference between a sale or not:

"Deadbeat" or "B.C." - customer with very bad credit
"Upside Down" or "Buried" - a customer who owes more than the car's worth.
"Put to Sleep" - Customer who paid way too much for car he/she is trading.
"Fresh Badge" - Car that has recent state inspection.
"Slider" - Power sunroof.
"Laydown" - Customer who buys a car without negotiating price.
"Spare Is In The Wrapper" - A spare tire that has never been used.
"Six Banger" - A six cylinder engine.
"Hole In The Roof" - A moon roof.
"Clock" - The speedometer.
"Gear Banger" - Manual transmission equipped vehicles.
"Stick" - same as Gear Banger.
"Donut" - small size spare tire used on newer vehicles.
"Full Shot" - A vehicle that has been completely rebuilt following a crash.
"More Buttons Than A Three Piece Suit" - A car equipped with every option available, also known as "nine yards."
"Tight Car" - A car in excellent condition.
"Standing Tall" - An outstanding vehicle, or, more recently, a truck with hi-rise shocks and suspension.
"Plain Janer" - car with no or few options, also called "Rubbernose."
"Accident Waiting To Happen" - a car that is ready for a major breakdown.
"Tops are Checked" - A vehicle with chipped or spotted paint on the hood, top and truck.
"Orange Peel" - paint that is poorly applied, and looks like an orange peel or wavy in many areas.
"Out Of Sight Warranty" - When the buyers leaves the lot and is out of sight, the warranty stops.
"Sneakers" - the tires.
"A Dog" - a car or truck that runs very poorly.
"Worth a Nickel" - a vehicle with a value of $500. A pair of nickels is $5500, while a dime is $1000. A dozen is $1200 and so forth.
"Stroke" - a person on the lot who looks with no intention of buying.
"Tire Kickers" same as "Stroke and Lookers"
"The Up" - the next customer assigned to a salesman who has to "get up" to assist in the sale.
"The Be Back" - the customer who says he'll be back...but usually never does.
"Back Lot Special" - a vehicle with little resale value that usually takes up a back row on the car lot.
"50-50" - An agreement between buyer and seller where each assumes 50-percent of the cost of repair if a breakdown occurs within the limit of the warranty.
"Spinner" - a vehicle that has its speedometer's odometer rolled back.
"Bare" - paint that is beginning to fade.
"Pig" - a very dirty car, or car with a worn or slow running engine.
"In the wrapper" - a car like new condition

With this information, you'll now know it's time to leave the lot when a sales person tells his colleague that you'd be the perfect person to buy the "spinner" because you're a "laydown" who was "put to sleep" at the last dealership. And, even though you've been "buried" and are probably not a "B.C.," the chances are good to sell you a "slider" and offer a "50-50" for a your car and a "pair of nickels."

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