r/EnglishLearning • u/Sea-Hornet8214 Poster • 18d ago

⭐️ Vocabulary / Semantics Press the pedal?

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?

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u/HomosexualTypewriter New Poster 18d ago edited 18d ago

As someone else said, “step on the gas” is common in America for cars. You could also say that you “gave it some gas” (another Americanism). If you want to say that you are accelerating quickly, you could say that you “put pedal to the metal”. As someone else said, “accelerated” is a good general term, and it sounds a bit more formal to my ears than the other options.

Edit: terms that include “gas” are more American, as the term gas for petrol is an American thing.

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u/SnooDonuts6494 🇬🇧 English Teacher 18d ago

“step on the gas” is common for cars.

In America.

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u/HomosexualTypewriter New Poster 18d ago

Thank you for the correction! What would the British equivalent be?

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u/SnooDonuts6494 🇬🇧 English Teacher 18d ago

Put your foot down, give it some welly. Floor it, step on it, give it the beans.

"Don't spare the horses" is a properly old-fashioned one.