shade tree mechanic
Backyard car repairer
A shade tree mechanic is someone who repairs cars as a hobby or side job rather than professionally, typically working outdoors or in a home garage rather than a proper shop.
The term evokes the image of someone tinkering under a car parked beneath a shade tree.
It can be used affectionately for a skilled amateur or dismissively to suggest shoddy, unlicensed work.
My uncle's a shade tree mechanic who's kept that old truck running for twenty years.
- grease monkeySlang for auto mechanic
- nutHard-shelled seed
- oilSlippery viscous fluid
- oil changeReplacing engine lubricant
- automotiveRelating to motor vehicles
carburetor · check engine light · engine · rural area · bolt · cash only · fixing · repair · elbow grease · frugality · radiator · ingenuity · muffler · duct tape · baling wire · do it yourself · tire · tools
- gearheadsgearhead, gearheads, petrolhead, petrolheads, motorhead