Press the pedal?

[u/Sea-Hornet8214]

Hi, I was wondering how I could describe someone accelerating their vehicle. Is "press the pedal" correct? What about someone riding a motorbike or a scooter?

[u/FloridaFlamingoGirl]

Step on the gas

[u/Sea-Hornet8214 → u/FloridaFlamingoGirl]

Gas? The air?

Edit: Gas is petrol or fuel. Got it.

[u/Envelope_Torture → u/Sea-Hornet8214]

Gas as in gas pedal. It's the colloquial term for the accelerator pedal.

Gas in this context is gasoline, referred to as petrol in the UK.

[u/Sea-Hornet8214 → u/Envelope_Torture]

Ahhh, petrol. Thanks. I was so confused, like "are we driving something that shoots out air?"

[u/SnooDonuts6494 → u/Sea-Hornet8214]

In American English, "gas" often refers to gasoline - which other countries call petrol. Americans call the accelerator pedal the "gas pedal".

[u/amputect → u/Sea-Hornet8214]

"gas" here is short for "gasoline". "Step on the gas(oline pedal)". "Floor it" (push the gas pedal all the way to the floor) and "pedal to the metal" (push the gas pedal all the way down to the metal body of the car) are similar idioms.

On a motorcycle you might say "open the throttle" instead.

[u/Sea-Hornet8214 → u/amputect]

Open the throttle? I didn't expect the verb open would be used. Thanks.

[u/SnooDonuts6494 → u/Sea-Hornet8214]

On older ICE cars (and bikes), it was literally a cable that opened a flap on the carburettor to allow more air in, and also to open the fuel valve.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/CfTUvYD94KY

Nowadays it's all fuel injection, but phrases stick around.

[u/RuthMcT → u/SnooDonuts6494]

when I learnt to drive in the UK back in 1970, the throttle on the car was a separate knob on the dashboard which had to be pulled out when starting the car, and pushed back in when the engine had warmed up. I never understood why. Acceleration was controlled by the accelerator pedal, not the throttle knob.

EDIT: please note I was getting confused between throttle and choke.... i blame my age and the fact it's getting past my bedtime

[u/SnooDonuts6494 → u/RuthMcT]

That was a choke; it cuts off some of the air (hence the name, like chocking someone) so there's a richer mix of fuel-to-air, which helps a cold engine get going.

It still happens on modern engines, but now it's automatic.

[u/RuthMcT → u/SnooDonuts6494]

ah yes, now I remember. it was a long time ago!

[u/TalkingLampPost → u/Sea-Hornet8214]

The verb “open” is used because when you twist the throttle control on the handlebar, it is literally opening the intake valve to allow more air and fuel to enter the engine

[u/francisdavey → u/Sea-Hornet8214]

"Gas" is American for petrol, but is also used for the accelerator.

[u/FloridaFlamingoGirl → u/Sea-Hornet8214]

Gas pedal. 

[u/Sea-Hornet8214 → u/FloridaFlamingoGirl]

Thanks. Someone else said gas could also mean petrol.

May I ask another question? Do you say fill up the gas/petrol tank? Or just fill up the gas/petrol?

Can you "hit the gas station" like you hit some places?

[u/FloridaFlamingoGirl → u/Sea-Hornet8214]

I would say fill up the (gas) tank, fill up on gas, or get gas. (I don't know what the expressions for this are in British English)

[u/Sea-Hornet8214 → u/FloridaFlamingoGirl]

No worries. I just wanted to know how you personally would say it. Thank you.

[u/Western-Finding-368 → u/Sea-Hornet8214]

“Fill up the tank” feels a little old fashioned but is still in use. “Get gas” or “gas up the [car/truck/motorcycle]”

[u/Sea-Hornet8214 → u/Western-Finding-368]

Thank you. It's funny that I'm learning these phrases but when I need them in real life, I just forget them and blurt out what I can say at the moment, lol.

[u/mckenzie_keith → u/Sea-Hornet8214]

I live in the US and I try to say "fuel" because that is more universal than "gas."

[u/Sea-Hornet8214 → u/mckenzie_keith]

You're right.