bucket of bolts
4
8.1
- noun
- Informal
- The mechanic laughed and said, 'This old bucket of bolts is not worth the repair costs.'
Examples
-
What were they thinking sticking me up with a bucket of bolts like this?
-
"No sweat," quipped the Localizer Lothario, "You forget who's at the controls of this trusty bucket of bolts, Ty."
Fiction book (2000) -
For an old bucket of bolts, this baby sure can dance!
-
You got that bucket of bolts ready?
-
Besides, this bucket of bolts couldn't make it down there.
-
Looks like we're gonna have to take this bucket of bolts all the way to Tatooine.
-
The bucket of bolts is never going to get us past that blockade.
-
Will the Captain, still shaky from his most recent binge, succeed in lifting this bucket of bolts off the ground?
Fiction book (2001) -
That bucket of bolts makes .5 past lightspeed and did the Kessel run in under 12 parsecs.
Blog text (12) -
Despite its age, this old bucket of bolts surprisingly still runs well on the highways.
Synonyms
11
5.2
An old car that is worn out and often breaks down
6
7.0
An old car that does not work well and is in bad shape
1
8.9
An old car or truck that is noisy but still works
1
9.9
An old, uncomfortable vehicle like a car or bicycle that shakes on bumpy roads
1
9.2
A worn-out thing like a car or bike that is not worth much
An old noisy car that often breaks down
An old car that often breaks down and is not reliable
An old car or machine that is very rusty and in poor condition
Antonyms
How Worn
Surface Forms
Morphology
bucket + of + bolt
The literal components 'bucket' and 'bolts' evoke an image of a ramshackle object made of metal parts, so a learner who knows the words might infer a sense of something clunky or poorly built. However, the conventionalized slang meaning specifically referring to an old or badly functioning vehicle (especially a car) is a metaphorical extension and not fully predictable from the constituents, so it is only partially transparent.
Etymology
The phrase bucket of bolts may come from the picture of a bucket full of loose metal bolts and broken parts, like a messy pile of spare pieces for a car. So, calling a vehicle a bucket of bolts means it looks and sounds 'old' or 'falling apart'.