Dealer Slang

Dealer slang, the secret language once used solely by cigar-chomping, leisure-suited men with white patent leather shoes, is still spoken today by men and women in Dockers and Polo shirts.  Longtime dealer consultant, auto broker and SafeCarGuide contributor Sam Alessi has furnished us with his exclusive Dictionary of Dealer Slang  to make your car shopping experience more enjoyable.

$500 sandwich: Went to lunch and missed a sale. 

Ad car: A basic car with few options (used to draw customers into the dealership). 

Backwards: When a vehicle's wholesale value is less than the amount still owed on the vehicle.

Baldinis: Bald tires.

Be-backs: The customers who tell you not to worry, they'll be back. 

Bird dog: Referral fee. 

BK: The customer has a bankruptcy in their credit history. 

Blow them out: Don't waste any more time with a customer. 

Bomb: An old car with no value. 

Clip joint: A dealership with a reputation for overcharging. 

Crapped out: Deal that didn't materialize. 

Cream puff: A used vehicle in excellent condition. 

Crop duster: A car that blows smoke out of the tailpipe. 

Deadbeat: A customer with a bad credit history. 

Dime: $100.

Finn: $500.

Fish: A customer who's too willing to part with their money.

Gasser: A customer who doesn't have the money to buy a vehicle, but acts like they do. 

Glass: Obvious use of Bondo or Fiberglas to repair rust or body damage.

Gold Package: Gaudy-looking vehicle.

Gouge: Sell a vehicle for more than sticker price. 

Grease: The amount of discount a customer needs to close the deal. 

Grease monkey: A mechanic. 

Grind: Negotiations that take a long time. 

Gross: Amount of profit. 

Hammer: Exert pressure on a customer to buy the vehicle. 

How Soon They Forget:  Remind an associate of favors you've done for them.

Hung: Status of a customer who's ready to sign the papers. 

Hit A Home Run: Make a great deal of money on a particular sale.

Hosed 'em: Made some money on the deal. 

Idiot light: A warning light on the instrument panel. 

Juice: Money.

Junker: An old car ready for the scrap heap. 

Key and a Heater: A basic car with no options. 

Kickback: Money refunded to the car dealer after the sale is made. May come from the car maker, finance company or insurance companies from the sale of extended warranties. 

Licking: When either the dealer or the customer loses money on a deal. 

Loaded: A car with every option. A rich customer. 

Long green: Money. 

Lowball: An attempt to undercut another dealer's price.

Maypops: Bald tires. 

Nickel: $500.

Numbers: The price of the vehicle. 

Nut: The break-even point. 

On the hood: Rebates, incentives, and special financing offered by a manufacturer or lender.

Pack: Money built into the price of the car to cover dealer's expenses (advertising & overhead in particular). 

Pad: The amount of a sale meant for the salesman. 

Player: A customer with a good credit history. 

Pound: $1000.

Push: Cash, rebate, or special financing. 

Qualify: Determine if the customer is ready to buy.

Rear-end money: Kickbacks and incentives given to a dealer by a lender for closing a financing deal.

Repo: A car that's repossessed for non-payment of a loan. 

Ripley's Believe It Or Not: Obvious body damage poorly repaired.

Roach: A customer with a poor credit rating.  A vehicle in need of a serious doll-up. 

Roll 'em: Force exerted by a salesman to close a deal. 

Rubberneck: A customer who has no intention of buying. 

Shark: A ruthless, money-hungry salesman. 

Short Arm: Very thrifty (cheap) customer.  

Slam-dunk: Make a very profitable sale. 

Sled: A slow and cumbersome vehicle.  A worthless vehicle. 

Snow job: An attempt to hide the truth from a customer with persuasive language.

Song and dance: An elaborate attempt to explain something to a customer. 

Special financing: High-interest loans for customers with poor credit.  Low-interest loans underwritten by the manufacturer.

Spiff: Bonus a salesperson receives if a sale is made. 

Sticker shock: Customer's negative reaction to the price of the vehicle. 

Stole It: Purchased a vehicle far below wholesale value.

Stroker: A customer who acts like they're ready to buy, and has no intention of doing so. 

Sweep 'em: Don't waste any more time with a customer.

TD: Turned down.  Usually refers to a customer's credit application.

Teaser: A basic car with few options (used to draw customers into the dealership). 

Ticky Ticky: Vehicle with valve train noise.  

Tin Lizzie: A very old vehicle.

Tire Kicker:  Someone who doesn't have the money to buy, but looks just the same.

Took a Bath:  Lost money on a deal.

Took a Pill:  Lost a great deal of money on a deal.

Twist 'em: Force exerted by a salesman to close a deal.

Upside down: The car's true value is less than the amount owed on the vehicle. (aka Backwards.)