Hi there, I’m from Australia.
Recently I was watching an American riality TV show and one of the contestants listed ‘tailgating’ as one of her interests.
This was funny to me, cause here in AUS tailgating means driving too close to the vehicle ahead of you. I thought it was funny that this was a hobby of hers cause it’s a pretty dangerous thing to do.
I then googled ‘tailgating USA’ to find its a kind of party with cars.
So I have 2 questions;
1. What do you call it in America if someone is driving too close to you?
2. What is a tailgating party exactly? Is it fun?
18 comments
Tailgating is both. Although location/community might change the more commonly referred to meaning. As for the party it is most commonly associated with sports (see North American Football) people will show up somewhere with grills in their truck bed drop down the bed tailgate (hence the naming convention) and grill and party and watch the game. Usually grilling out foods are involved like burgers, hotdogs, chips, corn, beer, etc. *Edited to answer the second question.
Driving too close to someone is also called tailgating (like you are driving on the person’s tailgate). Tailgating is also a common thing to do before an event like a sporting match or a concert. People will hang out in the parking lot to eat, drink, and socialize before going into the venue.
We use it for both. Tailgating is throwing a party out of the back of your truck usually in the parking lot before a public event like a football game or concert.
[Here’s a cool video ESPN did about College Football Tailgating](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDkgp-ZY5eM)
Both. Tailgating for sporting events is to get nice and fuckered up before stumbling to the event. Or if it’s some prick who rides your ass in traffic.
A tailgate is the drop door on the rear bed of truck.
So tailgating as a verb takes on 2 meaning in the US.
1 as you mentioned is driving too close to ones tailgate or the rear of a car.
2nd is dropping the tailgate in a parking lot or field to set up a make shift party spot normally, but not always, at a sporting event.
Tailgating, as in partying, has become very elaborate over the years in the US. It’s much bigger than the simple act of dropping the tailgate and having a party in a parking lot.
While the expression is born from the use or abuse of the back of truck. A truck isn’t required anymore, it’s just become a common expression/activity.
The idea that someone enjoys driving too close to the back of a car makes me chuckle. 😁
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Tailgating is popular at US sporting events because, unlike many other countries, most of our sports venues are in the middle of nowhere surrounded by parking lots. So you have to drive there, and there’s no nearby bars or restaurants.
Thanks so much to everyone who answered my question 🙂
Sometimes people throw tailgating parties and everyone ends up following each other very closely instead of drinking in a stadiums parking lot
This is what a tailgate party is
https://youtu.be/8aU-NNJ7mrs?si=zaLd0ttLjxvOZQ2U
Tailgating means both in the U.S., but context is important.
“This fucker with Maryland plates was tailgating me for like 5 miles on the Beltway.”
“On Sunday I’m picking up Frank at 8am and we’re heading to Safeway to pick up brats, buns, and a case of beer. We’re meeting Kyle at the lot. He’s bringing his grill. The tailgate starts at 9:30. Kick off at 1.”
Tailgaiting is a huge pre-party for a sporting event, (usually football) outside the stadium in parking lots. They’re big, elaborate parties with tents, good food, and a lot drinking. It’s a lot of fun. I’m weird. I don’t care about football, but I love tailgaiting. I go for the big parties and skip the game.
Tailgating = Picnic in the carpark
It’s both. Honestly reading through your post the first time I interpreted it exactly the same way you did and also found it a little amusing.
In some parts of the country tailgating is more common and popular than others. I live in a city and haven’t seen a tailgating party in years, but they were common growing up in a rural area big on games.
A lot of people have good answers to what a tailgate is, but wanted to chime in on the why. We tailgate to eat and drink in excess before concerts and sporting events where food and drinks are super expensive. A case of beer is ~$20, but a SINGLE drink inside the stadium will be ~$10 each. To feed my family at 6 at a baseball game, I spent over $100.
Definition 1 of tailgating is exactly right – following too closely. Definition 2 is also correct. That kind of tailgating happens most often at football games, where everyone has their own party in the parking lot of the arena the game is in, and that’s the kind the woman in the TV show likes to do.
NASCAR fans may call the following too close to someone “drafting” as well. But tailgating has been well defined by the other comments, so i won’t add to that part.