jalopy

American  

[juh-lop-ee] / dʒəˈlɒp i /

noun

Informal.

plural

jalopies

1. an old, decrepit, or unpretentious automobile.

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jalopy British  

/ dʒəˈlɒpɪ /

noun

1. informal a dilapidated old car

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Etymology

Origin of jalopy

An Americanism dating back to 1925–30; origin uncertain

Example Sentences

No one today any longer wishes to hear jokes about nagging mothers-in-law, spendthrift wives or old jalopies, and the men and women who once told them to hardy plaudits are now forgotten.

From The Wall Street Journal

But just because this old jalopy still runs doesn’t mean it’s worth taking for a spin.

From Salon

Kelce has gone the extra mile, buying a onetime muffler shop to expand Operation Breakthrough’s campus and create the Ignition Lab, in which students convert dilapidated jalopies into lacquered, showroom-ready electric vehicles.

From Los Angeles Times

If this were a 1940s noir, Lou would be fixing jalopies in a dingy garage while waiting for a dame to stroll in to change his fate.

From New York Times

It was a replica of the jalopies that passed through Kern County during the Dust Bowl.

From Los Angeles Times