Pedal to the Metal

I went driving with my two cousins this summer.

We were going to a mall to do a little shopping. I had heard that my cousin, Delilah, had some bad luck since she had started driving 2 years earlier. She had been in a few accidents and had "totaled" one vehicle entirely.

I was not afraid of her luck so we got into the car. As she backed out of the driveway, I felt perfectly comfortable. That was soon to change. She got onto the highway and we "headed" into town. Her speed continued to increase until we were going 20 km over the limit. She was a real "lead foot". I did ask her why she had her "pedal to the metal" but she just laughed. I told her she could continue if she wanted but should a police car "pull her over", I would not "have her back". She laughed again and we continued on to the mall. We arrived safely, "no thanks to" her driving.

1) "totaled" - We understand that the word "total" means complete or entire. "What did your groceries total?" means "What was the final amount of money you paid for your groceries?". However, it is very common to discuss things that have been severely damaged as "totaled". A car that was in an accident and is either not able to be driven or is unsafe to drive will be called "totaled". So, in this case, we can equate the word "totaled" to the word demolished.

In the figurative sense, we use the word "totaled" to describe anything that we have "destroyed" or left in a state of disrepair. This can be an emotional, physical or suggested destruction. For example, we can say that we "totaled" a buffet at lunch if we ate a large amount of food. We can say that we were "totaled" after a long day of meetings at work if we are very tired or emotionally drained. And we can also say we got "totaled" at the party. The last example is suggesting that we lost all control due to alcohol consumption.

2) "headed" into - We've discussed to "head" before. This is discussing direction. We can "head" towards the office or the mall or home. The idea is that the direction we are going is the direction or where we are "heading".

A footballer will "head" the ball by hitting the ball with his head. This move is often called a "header". Sometimes we will use an extremely similar sounding expression when we tell someone we have to leave. You might hear someone say they have to "head 'er" as they are getting up to leave. This means they have to "head" home (go in the direction of home).

3) a "lead foot" - "Lead foot" is a term we use for someone who drives very fast. The suggestion is that they have actual lead in their driving shoe or foot and so they apply more pressure to the accelerator of the vehicle. There isn't any other use of this term that I can think of unless you want to use the term figuratively. You might want to suggest great speed relating to some other event or action. If you want to suggest that your assistant hurries to finish their work on Friday afternoons, you might say you assistant is a real "lead foot" when it comes to working on Friday afternoons. I wouldn't say that this is a very common expression outside of driving.

4) "pedal to the metal" - This is another expression for driving very fast. The suggestion is that you are pressing the accelerator pedal all the way to the floor of the vehicle or to the metal frame on the bottom of the vehicle. This phrase can be used more commonly outside of a driving incident. Any time you want to suggest someone move or work quickly you can tell them to "put the pedal to the metal". You can tell your daughter to "put the pedal to the metal" when she is washing the dishes. You can also tell you boss that you will "put the pedal to the metal" when you want them to understand you are going to do your assignment as quickly as possible to meet the deadline.

5)  to "pull her over" - Police "pull cars over" when the driver has done something wrong. For example, if you are driving along and the car in front of you is speeding, when you pass a police car you should not be surprised when the car in front of you is "pulled over". The action of "pulling someone over" is to indicate to them that you want them to stop driving and move to the side of the road.

We can use this phrase figuratively too. If you want to make sure that someone stops talking or whatever they are doing so that they will listen and pay attention to you, you can tell them to "pull over". This clearly suggests that you want them to stop. Because this is a power move, you can only use this phrase to someone you have power over. You cannot use this phrase with a superior because it would be considered rude. I think it is generally rude unless you are in a joking situation with someone. Maybe you are with your friends and you are discussing a subject, but then one of your friends makes a statement about his recent night out with his ex. You can say to the group of people talking, "OK, everybody pull over" so that you can make everyone stop talking and you can focus attention on the person you want everyone to hear from - the guy who went out with his ex and wants to talk about it.

6) to "have someone's back" - Always an expression used in a difficult situation where someone needs or could use assistance to win. The literal idea is that if your friend is in a physical fight, then you as their friend will watch or "have their back" meaning that you will make sure no one can attack your friend from behind (the back) while they are fighting face-to-face with another attacker. In general, this expression is used whenever someone wants to suggest that they support their friend. You can say to a friend going into an exam, going to court to fight a traffic ticket, getting a divorce or just preparing to talk to the boss about a pay raise that you "have their back" to tell them you support what they are doing. If any question arrises to put your friend's actions or words into question/doubt, then you would have to show your support by talking to whomever is questioning your friend to prove you have their back.

7) "no thanks to" something/someone - If you say "thanks to" someone/something you are giving them credit for something. Your mother could tell you how nice your new haircut looks and you could say, "My hair looks this good thanks to my friend Tom who is a stylist". So "no thanks to" someone/something is the opposite expression. Again, if your mother tells you your hair looks good you could say "Yes, no thanks to Jennifer who used to cut my hair. Tom helped me with this style".

The example in the above story, "We arrived safely, no thanks to her driving.", indicates that I give no credit to the driving abilities of my cousin but some other factor when referring to our safe arrival. Perhaps a guardian angel. At the office, your boss might tell you what a great job your team did on a project. You could say, "The project is finished no thanks to our team member, Joshua." if you wanted to make clear to your boss that Joshua did not work well on the project. Joshua doesn't deserve any credit for the work, in your opinion, and so he deserves "no thanks".