rattle trap
Barely street legal
A rattletrap is a rickety, worn-out vehicle or machine that clatters and shakes when it moves: He drove up in an old rattletrap of a truck.
The word suggests something barely functional, held together by rust and hope.
Sometimes spelled as two words or hyphenated.
Dilapidated old vehicle
- beaterTool for mixing
- clunkerWorn-out old car
- junkerDecrepit, worthless automobile
- heapJumbled collection of items
wreck · bucket · crate · hooptie · banger · rust bucket · lemon · old banger
Failure or decomposition
- malfunctionFailure to operate properly
- temperamentalEasily upset, unpredictable
- unpredictableCannot be anticipated
- finickyExcessively particular, hard to satisfy
erratic · undependable · stalling · sputtering · backfiring · overheating · conking out · dying
Nature, symbol, or role
- personalityCharacteristic mental patterns
- quirkyIdiosyncratically unusual
- endearingArousing fondness or affection
- belovedOne who is treasured
sentimental · faithful · trusty · old friend · well-traveled · stories · memories · attachment
jalopy
Dilapidated old vehicle
heap · wreck · bucket · crate · hooptie · banger · rust bucket · lemon · old banger · beat-up
clatter
Loud rattling noise
clank · rumble · groan · sputter · knock · ping · wheeze · creak · grind · vibration
breakdown
Failure or decomposition
- malfunctionFailure to operate properly
- temperamentalEasily upset, unpredictable
- unpredictableCannot be anticipated
finicky · erratic · undependable · stalling · sputtering · backfiring · overheating · conking out · dying · unreliable
character
Nature, symbol, or role
- personalityCharacteristic mental patterns
- quirkyIdiosyncratically unusual
- endearingArousing fondness or affection
beloved · sentimental · faithful · trusty · old friend · well-traveled · stories · memories · attachment · affection
mechanic
Vehicle maintenance professional
- repairRestore to working order
- duct tapeStrong cloth-backed adhesive strip
- baling wireWire for bundling hay
jury-rig · patch · fix-up · toolbox · wrench · garage · tinkering · parts · junkyard · salvage
rattle trapluxury car
Expensive, high-end automobile
dream car · mint condition · Rolls-Royce · Bentley · cherry
rattle traproadworthy
Safe to drive legally
dependable · sound · solid · fully functional · street legal
rattle, trap, rattled, rattling, rattler, rattles, traps, trapped, trapping