# What's your nickname for it when you make a U-turn? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 6, 2018, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-nickname-for-it-when-you-make-a-u-turn/805954 "2018-01-06T00:31:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-nickname-for-it-when-you-make-a-u-turn/805954/21 "2018-01-06T10:33:08Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > In the US it would be hang a Louey (L for left). The way I’ve always heard it, a left turn (90 degrees) is a Louis, a right turn (again, 90 degrees) is a Ralph, and a U-turn is a Yooey or a 180. In my experience they are usually prefixed by “hang” (hang a Louis, hang a Ralph, hang a yooey). ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-nickname-for-it-when-you-make-a-u-turn/805954/22 "2018-01-06T10:50:21Z")
In Australia you [chuck a uey](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/chuck_a_uey). ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-nickname-for-it-when-you-make-a-u-turn/805954/23 "2018-01-06T11:10:03Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > In Australia you [chuck a uey](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/chuck_a_uey). This is the drum. > [@kambuckta](#): > > In Aus, the generally accepted term is, ‘chuckin’ a yewie’. This is wrong, has too many syllables for any dinkum Aussie hoon. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-nickname-for-it-when-you-make-a-u-turn/805954/24 "2018-01-06T12:56:16Z")
U-Turn. Yes, I’m boring ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-nickname-for-it-when-you-make-a-u-turn/805954/25 "2018-01-06T13:12:42Z")
I’ve always “flipped a u-ey” but the best one I’ve heard is, “to whip a shitty.” ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-nickname-for-it-when-you-make-a-u-turn/805954/26 "2018-01-06T14:49:48Z")
My grandfather( born in 1900) used to say, I can’t make a U turn I can make her eyes bulge. I was a middle age adult before it was Ewe instead…:eek: ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-nickname-for-it-when-you-make-a-u-turn/805954/27 "2018-01-06T14:53:29Z")
> [@eenerms](#): > > My grandfather( born in 1900) used to say, I can’t make a U turn I can make her eyes bulge. I was a middle age adult before it was Ewe instead…:eek: U to Ewe? Eww! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-nickname-for-it-when-you-make-a-u-turn/805954/28 "2018-01-06T14:55:44Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > The way I’ve always heard it, a left turn (90 degrees) is a Louis, a right turn (again, 90 degrees) is a Ralph, and a U-turn is a Yooey or a 180. In my experience they are usually prefixed by “hang” (hang a Louis, hang a Ralph, hang a yooey). Same here, but “Ralphie” for right. Hang a Louie/Ralphie/Yooey. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-nickname-for-it-when-you-make-a-u-turn/805954/29 "2018-01-06T15:51:27Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > The way I’ve always heard it, a left turn (90 degrees) is a Louis, a right turn (again, 90 degrees) is a Ralph, and a U-turn is a Yooey or a 180. In my experience they are usually prefixed by “hang” (hang a Louis, hang a Ralph, hang a yooey). YES, that’s how it went. I was going to post “Ralph” for right turn. So it would have been a yooey (U for yooey). that would have been in the 1970’s. It would be interesting to see how far back the expressions went. It woudln’t surprise me if it went back to the earliest days of driving. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-nickname-for-it-when-you-make-a-u-turn/805954/30 "2018-01-06T16:14:55Z")
Make a yewie. I’ve never heard it called hanging, banging, whipping, flipping, chucking, balls, bitches, tits, shits, deweys, louies, ralphs, teds, or rewinders. ---
**Author:** ![Dickerman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8baadc/32.png) [@Dickerman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dickerman)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-nickname-for-it-when-you-make-a-u-turn/805954/31 "2018-01-06T16:56:36Z")
Something we came up with spontaneously one night many years ago: hang a Luigi It was very funny at the time. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-nickname-for-it-when-you-make-a-u-turn/805954/32 "2018-01-06T17:25:02Z")
A U-ey. Although to be fair, I like to be a little colorful in my speech, so I would call it the “Semi-Legal, [Location] U-ey.” As in, in Springfield I would sometimes make a “Semi-Legal, Central Illinois U-ey,” and in my current location I say “Semi-Legal, Southeast Missouri U-ey.” ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-nickname-for-it-when-you-make-a-u-turn/805954/33 "2018-01-06T17:50:03Z")
I say “bang a donut”; I read it on a list of slang when I was a kid, and it stuck with me. EDIT: I Googled the term and I found out I made the same comment in 2011. > **[If I told you I "Flipped a bitch" would you know what I was talking about?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=622589)** > > I hadn’t started hearing this term until my (now ex) stepmom started using it regularly. Since then, I haven’t heard it used much from anyone…although just the other day I heard someone use it. Do you know what this is referring to? The answer for... ---
**Author:** ![AtomicDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@AtomicDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AtomicDog)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-nickname-for-it-when-you-make-a-u-turn/805954/34 "2018-01-06T17:52:57Z")
Even though it’s not accurate, I’ve always called it a “Batturn”. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-nickname-for-it-when-you-make-a-u-turn/805954/35 "2018-01-06T19:37:50Z")
I’ve always referred to the manuever as “Turn around” or “Go back.” In my grouchy old bastard opinion, “Hang a UE” et.al. sounds like a pre-teen driver wanna-be. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-nickname-for-it-when-you-make-a-u-turn/805954/36 "2018-01-06T19:45:55Z")
Google maps of course calls it, “At the next roundabout take the fourth exit.” ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-nickname-for-it-when-you-make-a-u-turn/805954/37 "2018-01-06T21:03:56Z")
Making a pickle sandwich. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-nickname-for-it-when-you-make-a-u-turn/805954/38 "2018-01-06T21:33:58Z")
if it’s a U-turn on a normal undivided road, then we call it a U-turn. if it’s making a U-turn across the median of a divided road to comply with Michigan’s unique laws about left turns onto divided highways, it’s called a [“Michigan Left.”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_left) ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-nickname-for-it-when-you-make-a-u-turn/805954/39 "2018-01-06T21:45:24Z")
_Pull_ a yuey. Not sure why that verb though. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-nickname-for-it-when-you-make-a-u-turn/805954/40 "2018-01-06T21:46:34Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > _Pull_ a yuey. Not sure why that verb though. Ah, yes, “pull” or “hang.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-nickname-for-it-when-you-make-a-u-turn/805954.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-nickname-for-it-when-you-make-a-u-turn/805954.md?page=3)