I ask because my default term is “fourways.” I used this term at work and was met with blank stares until I said “Y’know, when you pull that button on the steering column and all four of your blinkers come on. Hazard lights.” And then everybody’s eyes lit up and they said “Yeah, your flashers!”
I am from New York, but learned my automotive lingo from my dad, who is a trucker (so I use some strange terms that aren’t in the general automotive lexicon, although of course I can’t think of any right now). They are all from Texas. So I was wondering whether the fourways/flashers/hazards thing was regional, trucker/everybody else, or just randomly dispersed.
And in East Texas, they are not “four-way flashers,” they are simply “flashers.” The term “four-way” flummoxed them completely. You’d have thought I’d said something about weasel-grommets.
I’m from the Houston area, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard the term “flashers” used that way. I call them “blinkers” or “hazards.” “Hazards” seems to be most common.
It’s possible I’ve heard the term “flashers” and not noticed or forgotten, I guess.
I’ve definitely never heard the term “fourways” though.
Also from NYC, we call 'em four-ways. I had occasion to put them on yesterday, as it happens, as part of a funeral procession on Long Island for one of my Mom’s oldest friends.
I lived in Boston half my life and heard them called four-ways and/or blinkers, but the former was a little more common. And I think most NYers would understand what you meant by blinkers too.
I’m from Southern California (for most of my life, anyway) and I would call all four lights flashing at the same time to be “hazard lights.” As for the right or left turn signals, I usually call them, well, “turn signals.” I sometimes call them “blinkers,” but to be honest, mostly it’s “turn signal” or “signal.”
Born and raised in Texas, I’ve always heard them called “hazard lights” when they are all on at once and “turn signals” or “blinkers” for turning or to signal a lane change.
I’ve always referred to them, and heard them referred to as “hazards” or “hazard lights”. Turn signals are more commonly called “blinkers”, but I’ve heard “turn signals” as well. Never heard the term “Four-ways”. I’m a Massachusetts girl, born and bred.
better now…
Like yosemite & silenus said. All 4 is Hazard lights, one side or t’other is turn signals. Could be a regional (Left Coast) thing. I learned to drive in Seattle (yeah yeah, back when the cars actually moved and the drivers actually used turn signals).
I am quite frankly surprised that “Flasher” has currency on the East Coast to mean anything other than a guy in a trench coat.
I use the same terminology. I’m Long Island born and raised. Which makes me question Mehitabel’s saying that people call them “four-ways.” I’ve never heard that!
When all four are on, they’re “hazard lights” or “hazards”. I’d understand what you meant if you said “flashers”. I’d gape at you in slack-jawed befuddlement if you used the term “four-ways”.
When signaling a lane change, they’re “turn signals”. I’d understand what you meant if you used the term “blinker”, though it’d take me a moment to figure it out. I’d be confused at the term “indicator”, since to me that term is more general than a turn signal (e.g., one of the lights that turns on in your dashboard to show that something’s wrong could also be referred to as an “indicator light”). “Blinker” is only used when the light is used as a turn signal, not when all four are on.
I’ve never heard that!