Correctly using idiomatic expressions makes you sound more like the natives no matter what language you are trying to speak. Learning them can be tricky, though, because you often can’t guess the meaning of an idiom from the words. Trying to remember idioms as random sets of words is not very interesting or productive. The easiest way to learn and remember idioms is to learn about their history. When you understand where they came from, it’s a lot easier to remember what they mean. Some idioms are so old that no one is really sure where they came from, but you can find clear written records of many of the idioms we use today. My main resources for this post are The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer and the Dictionary of American Slang by Barbara Kipfer and Robert Chapman.
In the fast lane
To live “in the fast lane” means to have a lifestyle where you have rapid success but at the price of a very competitive and high-pressure environment. Often people living in the fast lane spend a lot of money to live luxuriously. They may also do dangerous activities such as extreme sports. For example, “Rock musicians have a reputation for living in the fast lane.”
This term dates from the 1970s. It refers to the express lane of a highway. The express lane, or fast lane, is used by faster vehicles to pass slower ones.
To ride shotgun
“To ride shotgun” means to act as a guard in a vehicle and keep it safe.
This expression appeared in cowboy films starting in the 1950s. It refers to a man who sat next to the driver of a stagecoach and guarded the stagecoach with a shotgun. During the 1960s, teenagers started using it to refer to the person sitting in the passenger seat of a vehicle. For example, “John drove his car to the concert and his friend Mark rode shotgun.”
A backseat driver
A backseat driver is a person who gives unwanted and irritating advice.
This expression originated in the US during the early 20th century. Many cars at that time were driven by chauffeurs and their passengers sat in the backseat. A backseat driver can be someone who sits in the back of a car and tells the driver what to do, but it can also mean a person who gives advice about an activity that they are not responsible for. For example, “No one wants to drive Aunt Mary anywhere because she is a terrible backseat driver.”
To take a back seat (to something or someone)
“To take a back seat” to someone or something means to accept an inferior position.
This expression originated in the 19th century. The back seat of a horse-drawn carriage was the seat that faced away from the direction that the carriage was going. The passengers with the highest status sat in the front seat, while the inferior passengers sat in the back seat. For example, “Jane always felt that she took a back seat to her more beautiful elder sister.”
I hope that knowing a little about the history of these idioms will help you to remember them and use them correctly.
References
Ammer, Christine (2013) The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms, Second Edition, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, Boston, MA and New York, NY
Kipfer, Barbara A. and Chapman, Robert L. (2007) Dictionary of American Slang, Fourth Edition, Harper-Collins Publishers, New York, NY
The Free Dictionary by Farlex, https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/, Accessed April 23, 2023
The Phrase Finder, https://www.phrases.org.uk/, Accessed April 23, 2023
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