Idioms and Slang 10: Rubbernecking

Rubbernecking is one of those things that really annoy me when I'm driving on the highway. Usually after a car accident, drivers tend to slow down as they pass the accident site because they are curious to see what happened. It is especially annoying if it was a simple fender-bender! It is natural human curiosity that causes us to rubberneck or to gawk, but it can be quite dangerous if the rubbernecker has to negotiate both the accident and the traffic snarl. Another modern phenomenon has created a new word: digi-necking. Now that everyone can pictures or videos with their cellphone (mobile phone in British English), an even more dangerous occurence is taking place! Rubberneckers now slow down and try take a photo which slows down the flow of traffic even more and causes gridlock. VOCABULARY rubbernecking - l'acte de se ralentir pour regarder un accident (derived from rubber = caoutchouc & neck = cou) fender-bender - accrochage (derived from fender = aile & to bend = tordre) gawk - rester bouche bée (devant) traffic snarl - blocage de circulation, embouteillage flow of traffic/traffic flow - la circulation gridlock - bouchon