Rush hour meaning in English
Learn how to use Rush hour correctly with Gymglish.
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Definition
the rush hour: the time of day at which traffic is busiest (usually because people are going to or from work)
Examples
- "I want to hit the freeway before rush hour."
- "Besides I want to get out of here early and avoid rush hour."
Exercise 1
Complete the dialogue below with words from this scene. Use the clues to help you.
Leonard: Don't you want to join us in the ? (fight, battle, challenge)
Philip: I'm practicing my sales in here! (speech, presentation)
Leonard and Edward: him in his office! (secure, confine, shut)
Philip: ...I want to get out of here early and avoid traffic. (busy periods of the day) 2 words
Edward: We're to Bruno's office in protest! (walking as in a procession)
Leonard: Don't you want to join us in the ? (fight, battle, challenge)
Philip: I'm practicing my sales in here! (speech, presentation)
Leonard and Edward: him in his office! (secure, confine, shut)
Philip: ...I want to get out of here early and avoid traffic. (busy periods of the day) 2 words
Edward: We're to Bruno's office in protest! (walking as in a procession)
Complete the dialogue below with words from this scene. Use the clues to help you.
Leonard: Don't you want to join us in the struggle 1? (fight, battle, challenge)
Philip: I'm practicing my sales pitch 2 in here! (speech, presentation)
Leonard and Edward: lock 3 him in his office! (secure, confine, shut)
Philip: ...I want to get out of here early and avoid rush hour 4 traffic. (busy periods of the day) 2 words
Edward: We're marching 5 to Bruno's office in protest! (walking as in a procession)
Leonard: Don't you want to join us in the struggle 1? (fight, battle, challenge)
Philip: I'm practicing my sales pitch 2 in here! (speech, presentation)
Leonard and Edward: lock 3 him in his office! (secure, confine, shut)
Philip: ...I want to get out of here early and avoid rush hour 4 traffic. (busy periods of the day) 2 words
Edward: We're marching 5 to Bruno's office in protest! (walking as in a procession)
1 struggle: "Struggle" is the right answer. A "struggle" is a "fight", a "conflict", a "severe difficulty". It can be used as a verb too: "I struggle to keep in shape: I love eating and hate exercising".
2 pitch: This is the correct answer. A "pitch" in this context is a "demonstration", a "talk" or a "presentation", and a sales pitch describes the presentation or speech given to a potential buyer or customer by a salesman (or woman).
3 lock: "Lock" is correct here. "To lock (a door)" is to close with a key or secure it. For example: "If you're finding quitting smoking really difficult, try locking yourself in the cellar for two weeks. It worked for me!".
4 rush hour: This is the correct answer. "Rush hour" is the busiest period of the day on the roads or on the public transport system: usually between 8 and 9 in the morning and 5 and 7 in the evening. A further example: There's nothing worse than when it's raining during rush hour.
5 marching: This is the right answer. To "march" is to walk at a fast pace, like soldiers in the army. It's usually done in a group, in formation. For example: "The Emperor Penguins march over 100 km to lay their eggs". The term "to march" also refers to walking on a (political) demonstration.
Exercise 2
Choose the best definitions for the idioms from the dialogue.
To buckle up is to .
To hit the road is to .
Rush hour refers to a period when .
To buckle up is to .
To hit the road is to .
Rush hour refers to a period when .
Choose the best definitions for the idioms from the dialogue.
To buckle up is to fasten one's seat belt 1.
To hit the road is to start a journey 2.
Rush hour refers to a period when traffic is heavy 3.
To buckle up is to fasten one's seat belt 1.
To hit the road is to start a journey 2.
Rush hour refers to a period when traffic is heavy 3.
1 fasten one's seat belt: This is correct. "To buckle up" is to apply or to fasten a safety belt, such as in a car or an airplane. Philip tells Icarus to "buckle up and be quiet": he wants Icarus to secure his seat belt so that he can start driving. A "buckle" is usually made of metal and is used to secure a belt. "To fasten (a belt)" is "to close" or "to secure" it. Example: He fastened the window to stop the wind from entering.
1 close one's mouth: This is incorrect. The idiom "to buckle up" is not synonymous with "to close one's mouth".
1 check the rearview mirror: This is incorrect. The idiom "to buckle up" is not synonymous with "to check the rearview mirror". The "rearview mirror" is a mirror that a driver of a car can use to check the view behind them.
1 assume a driving position: This is incorrect. The idiom "to buckle up" is not synonymous with "to assume a driving position".
2 start a journey: This is correct. "To hit the road" is to "leave" or "depart" on a journey. The expression literally means to make contact with the route. At the start of the dialogue, Philip says "Ready to hit the road?", this is a request to start driving.
2 drive fast: This is incorrect. The expression "to hit the road" does not mean "to drive fast".
2 put the keys in the ignition: This is incorrect. The expression "to hit the road" does not mean "to put the keys into the ignition" of a car. The "ignition (of a vehicle)" refers to the mechanism that starts the motor, or ignites the fuel in an internal-combustion engine.
2 get into a vehicle: This is incorrect. The expression "to hit the road" does not mean "to get into a vehicle".
3 traffic is heavy: This is correct. "Rush hour" is the time at the beginning and end of a working day (usually Monday to Friday) when people go to and from work. It is the period when roads are busy with vehicles and public transport is used by high numbers of people. Philip wants to reach the freeway before "rush hour".
3 people can drive fast: This is incorrect. "Rush hour" does not refer to a period when people can drive fast. "Rush" refers to the volume of traffic, not rate of flow.
3 cars have priority: This is incorrect. "Rush hour" does not refer to a period when cars have priority.
3 roads are empty: This is incorrect. "Rush hour" does not refer to a period when roads are empty.
3 Jackie Chan made his best films: This is incorrect. Although "Rush Hour" signalled Jackie Chan's arrival and breakthrough in Hollywood, it is generally assumed that the action comedies filmed in Hong Kong during the 1980s are the best of his career.
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