Hello again LearnEnglish Team,
I was wondering if "hitch a ride or lift" is as frequently used as "hitchike". Does it only have the meaning of a free ride by a stranger or by a friend too?
When someoneb drives on when the traffic lights are red is it correct to say that he "jumped the lights"? Is it an expression used in both American and British English or is more common to say that he "ran a red light"?
As far as I understand it, when we hitch a ride, it's generally unplanned. Perhaps our car has broken down, for example, or our plans change and we ask someone to take us along in their car. I suppose it could be planned, too, but my first thought is that it's not planned.
Hitchhiking could also be unplanned, but in my book is generally a planned mode of transport. That is, you could plan to go from Warsaw to Paris by plane or train, or you could plan to go out to the road and try to get a ride from others, i.e. to get there hitchiking.
So they mean the same thing, but I'd say one is used more when it's planned and the other more often when it's not planned.
Yes, you can say that someone 'jumped the light(s)' and as far as I know it's used in both American and British English. The same is true of 'run a red light'.
Thank you for your detailed answer.
Just a small question. I have found the following sentence:"I decided to leave my car at home and hitch a ride with friends." Does it make sense since "hitch a ride" refers to a ride with a stranger, as I have understand? That's why I asked if it is always a ride with a stranger or it might be with a friend as well.
Usually 'hitch a ride' is used as you say to talk about getting a ride from a stranger. However, sometimes it can be used in the context of friends or family helping out with a ride as in your example.
I can drive. I've had my licence for five years now. But I feel I'll need to take a few driving lessons once I'm in the UK to get used to driving on the left and that everything in the car will be mirroring what I'm used to.
Hello LearnEnglish Team,
I would like to ask you what is the difference between a "stopover" and a "pit stop". If you say that "you broke your journey" does it mean that you made a stopover, a pit stop or something else? Thank you in advance.
We speak of a 'stopover' or a 'layover' in the context of air travel when we land in one airport and wait for another later flight there.
A pit stop comes from the world of car racing, but people sometimes use it informally to refer to a stop in a journey. Usually it's a car journey and usually people decide to stop to use the bathroom.
The phrase 'you broke your journey' sounds a little strange to me. If I had to guess, I'd say it meant that someone made a lengthy stop on their journey, but I'd have to know more about the context to explain it with any confidence.
So, a pit stop is a stop during a trip by car for a few minutes, to eat a snack, use the bathroom or refuel, right? But a "stopover" in the context of car travel is a lenthy stop of a few hours or days somewhere during a journey?
"break the journey" is a phrase I came up with and I wanted to know what exactly means and if it is a frequently used phrase or not. I'll provide you with an example: "Instead of driving straight from here to California, let's break up the journey with a visit to my sister in Las Vegas?"
Yes, re: pit stop, that sounds right to me. I'd probably just say 'a stop' or 'a break for a few hours' instead of 'stopover', but the meaning you describe is what I would suppose if someone used the word.
Your explanation of 'break the journey' also makes sense to me. I'd probably say 'break up the trip' or 'go by Vegas on the way', but your phrase makes sense and I'm sure anyone would understand it, especially in context.
Hello again LearnEnglish Team,
I was wondering if "hitch a ride or lift" is as frequently used as "hitchike". Does it only have the meaning of a free ride by a stranger or by a friend too?
When someoneb drives on when the traffic lights are red is it correct to say that he "jumped the lights"? Is it an expression used in both American and British English or is more common to say that he "ran a red light"?
Hello DoraX,
As far as I understand it, when we hitch a ride, it's generally unplanned. Perhaps our car has broken down, for example, or our plans change and we ask someone to take us along in their car. I suppose it could be planned, too, but my first thought is that it's not planned.
Hitchhiking could also be unplanned, but in my book is generally a planned mode of transport. That is, you could plan to go from Warsaw to Paris by plane or train, or you could plan to go out to the road and try to get a ride from others, i.e. to get there hitchiking.
So they mean the same thing, but I'd say one is used more when it's planned and the other more often when it's not planned.
Yes, you can say that someone 'jumped the light(s)' and as far as I know it's used in both American and British English. The same is true of 'run a red light'.
All the best,
Kirk
LearnEnglish team
Thank you for your detailed answer.
Just a small question. I have found the following sentence:"I decided to leave my car at home and hitch a ride with friends." Does it make sense since "hitch a ride" refers to a ride with a stranger, as I have understand? That's why I asked if it is always a ride with a stranger or it might be with a friend as well.
Hello DoraX,
Usually 'hitch a ride' is used as you say to talk about getting a ride from a stranger. However, sometimes it can be used in the context of friends or family helping out with a ride as in your example.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
OK. Thanks a lot!
I can drive. I've had my licence for five years now. But I feel I'll need to take a few driving lessons once I'm in the UK to get used to driving on the left and that everything in the car will be mirroring what I'm used to.
Hello LearnEnglish Team,
I would like to ask you what is the difference between a "stopover" and a "pit stop". If you say that "you broke your journey" does it mean that you made a stopover, a pit stop or something else? Thank you in advance.
Hello DoraX,
We speak of a 'stopover' or a 'layover' in the context of air travel when we land in one airport and wait for another later flight there.
A pit stop comes from the world of car racing, but people sometimes use it informally to refer to a stop in a journey. Usually it's a car journey and usually people decide to stop to use the bathroom.
The phrase 'you broke your journey' sounds a little strange to me. If I had to guess, I'd say it meant that someone made a lengthy stop on their journey, but I'd have to know more about the context to explain it with any confidence.
All the best,
Kirk
LearnEnglish team
So, a pit stop is a stop during a trip by car for a few minutes, to eat a snack, use the bathroom or refuel, right? But a "stopover" in the context of car travel is a lenthy stop of a few hours or days somewhere during a journey?
"break the journey" is a phrase I came up with and I wanted to know what exactly means and if it is a frequently used phrase or not. I'll provide you with an example: "Instead of driving straight from here to California, let's break up the journey with a visit to my sister in Las Vegas?"
Hello DoraX,
Yes, re: pit stop, that sounds right to me. I'd probably just say 'a stop' or 'a break for a few hours' instead of 'stopover', but the meaning you describe is what I would suppose if someone used the word.
Your explanation of 'break the journey' also makes sense to me. I'd probably say 'break up the trip' or 'go by Vegas on the way', but your phrase makes sense and I'm sure anyone would understand it, especially in context.
All the best,
Kirk
LearnEnglish team