roll coal

English

A pickup truck exhausting sooty fumes (rolling coal).

Verb

roll coal (third-person singular simple present rolls coal, present participle rolling coal, simple past and past participle rolled coal)

1. (US, slang) To emit sooty exhaust fumes from a modified (diesel) engine (fad among anti-environmentalist American truck drivers).
   • 2016 September 4, Hiroko Tabuchi, “‘Rolling Coal’ in Diesel Trucks, to Rebel and Provoke”, in The New York Times‎^[1]:

     “Why don’t you go live in Sweden and get the heck out of our country,” Mr. Blue wrote.” I will continue to roll coal anytime I feel like and fog your stupid eco-cars.”

   • (Can we date this quote?), Tales from the Gas Station: Volume Three, Jack Townsend, page 59:

     The light turned red, and Jerry peeled into the intersection, hooking left as an oversized pickup truck rolled coal and blared its horn at us. “Sorry!” I screamed for no good reason. Jerry skidded into another right turn.

Related terms

• coal-rolled
• coal roller
• coal-rolling

See also

• wet stacking