Travel Idioms

jump the lights	If you continue driving when the traffic lights turn red, you jump the lights. It's very dangerous to jump the lights.  No wonder he was stopped by the police.
fall off the back of alorry	Goods that have fallen off the back of a lorry are stolen goods. Judging by the price of that camera, it must have fallen off the back of a lorry!
make your way to	If you make your way to a destination, you manage to get there without difficulty. Don't worry. I'll make my way to your home from the station.
pedal to the metal	When you put the pedal to the metal, you accelerate or make something go faster. If I put the pedal to the metal I might get there on time.
any port in a storm	When you are in difficulty, any port in a storm refers to a solution you accept which in normal circumstances you would find unacceptable. The hotel was substandard, but it was a case of any port in a storm; all the others were full.
take for a ride	To take someone for a ride means to cheat or deceive them. I discovered he had charged me double the normal fee.  He really took me for a ride!
road rage	Aggressive driving habits sometimes resulting in violence against other drivers is called road rage. A number of accidents today are a direct result of road rage.
middle of the road (MOR)	This term refers to anything moderate, unadventurous or inoffensive that avoids extremes and appeals to the majority of people. He's a successful middle-of-the-road entertainer. My mother wouldn't miss a show!
get show on theroad	If you manage to put a plan into action, you get the show on the road. OK, we've got all we need, so let's get the show on the road.
sail close to the wind	If you sail close to the wind, you do something dangerous or act just within the limits of what is legal or acceptable. He seems to invest his money well although he often sails close to the wind.
sail through	If you sail through something, for example a test or an exam, you succeed in doing it without difficulty. The English test was no problem for Pedro. He sailed through it.
shank's pony	If you go somewhere on Shank's pony, you have to walk rather than travel by bus, car, etc. It was impossible to find a taxi after the party, so it was Shank's pony for us!
ships that pass in the night	This expression refers to people who meet briefly and are not likely to meet again. The two men met one, like ships that pass in the night, and never met again.
live out of a suitcase	Someone who lives of a suitcase travels a lot, moving from place to place, and is therefore restricted to the contents of their suitcase. Sarah's job involves so much travelling that she lives out of a suitcase.
train of thought	A sequence of connected ideas is called a train of thought. I was considering the different options when the noise outside broke my train of thought.
hitch wagon to a star	Someone who hitches their wagon to a star has great ambitions and is very determined to reach their goal. At an early age she decided to hitch her wagon to a star and become famous.
on the wagon	Someone who is on the wagon is no longer drinking alcohol. No wine for me please - I'm on the wagon.