taxi driver

Placez le pointeur de la souris sur les mots soulignés, sans cliquer

A taxi passengerPERSON WHO RIDES IN A VEHICLE tappedTAP: TO TOUCH LIGHTLY the driver on the shoulder to ask him a question. The driver screamedTHE DRIVER SHOUTED LOUDLY IN FEAR, lost control of the car, nearly hit a bus, went up onto a footpathPAVEMENT OR SIDEWALK, and stopped inches from a shop window.

For a second, everything was quiet in the cabTAXI. Then the driver said, "Look, mateFRIEND, PAL, don't ever do that again. You scared the living daylights out of meYOU FRIGHTENED ME A LOT!" The passenger apologised and said, "I didn't realise that a little tapA LIGHT TOUCH would frighten youMAKE YOU AFRAID so much."

The driver replied, "Sorry, it's not really your fault. Today is my first day as a cab driver. I've been driving a hearseVEHICLE THAT CARRIES COFFINS for the last 22 years."

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🔍 Vocabulary

In this joke, let's look at scared the living daylights out of, tap, and hearse.
Scared the living daylights out of means to frighten someone very much.
A tap is a light touch.
A hearse is a vehicle used to carry a coffin.

• That horror film scared the living daylights out of me.
• He gave me a tap on the shoulder.
• The hearse drove slowly to the cemetery.

📘 Grammar

This story uses the past simple tense to describe completed actions in the past, such as "tapped", "screamed", and "apologised". It also uses direct speech to show the exact words spoken by the characters. The past simple is commonly used for telling stories or jokes.

• He tapped the driver on the shoulder.
• The driver screamed and lost control.
• "You scared the living daylights out of me," he said.

🔄 Synonyms & Alternatives

Scared the living daylights out of: frightened, startled, gave a fright
Tap: pat, touch lightly, poke
Hearse: funeral car, mortuary vehicle

💬 Mini Dialogue

Passenger: Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you.
Driver: It's alright, mate. Just not used to passengers moving!
Passenger: Why's that?
Driver: I used to drive a hearse for over two decades.
Passenger: I suppose your passengers were much quieter back then!

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