rubbernecking

English

Etymology

From rubber +‎ necking.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɹʊbɚˌnɛkɪŋ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: rub‧ber‧neck‧ing

Noun

rubbernecking (uncountable)

1. The act of slowing down whilst driving a vehicle, in order to see the scene of an accident.
   • 2004, Robert G. Ferrell, Tangent: A Novel‎^[1], →ISBN, page 131:

     "The resulting wreckage blocks the entire southbound side of the Interstate, while the inevitable rubbernecking slows traffic on the northbound side to little more than the speed of a brisk walk."

2. Generally, any act of observation in a manner considered unduly overt or otherwise unseemly.

   The children had never been in such a large museum and their rubbernecking was rather amusing.

Translations

slowing down to see the scene of an accident

• French: faire le badaud
• German: Gaffen n
• Spanish: curiosear (es)

unseemly act of observation

• Dutch: ramptoerisme
• German: Gaffen n, Spannen (de) n
• Spanish: cotilleo (es)

Verb

rubbernecking

1. present participle and gerund of rubberneck
   • 2006, Jack Myers, Row House Blues‎^[2], →ISBN, page 339:

     "Kids all up and down the Triboro corridors are staring, I can sense it. Why are they rubbernecking, what are they staring at?"

See also

• gapers' block
• gawkers' block