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(ordered by seriousness) ESL Vocabulary Lists Parts of Speech Lists A-Z Idioms and Proverbs Tests and Games Top Tip Install a grammar checker
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Backseat Driver (Origin)
What Is the Origin of the Saying "Backseat Driver"?
The term "backseat driver" means a person who criticizes from the side lines.
- Passenger: You're too close to that car in front. And, you're too close to that car behind!
- Driver: Yeah, okay, backseat driver!
From a grammatical perspective, "backseat" is a compound adjective (a single adjective made up of more than one word). Therefore, the big question is whether to write it as "back seat driver," "backseat driver," or "back-seat driver." The basic rule is as follows:
- Use the one-word version if it exists.
- If it doesn't exist as one word, use the hyphenated version to make it clear your words are a single grammatical unit (i.e., one adjective).
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