Cadillac converter

Cadillac converter

English

Etymology

Formed because of the near-rhyme between catalytic and Cadillac (referring to the brand of luxury car).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkædɪlæk kənˈvɛɹtɚ/

Noun

Cadillac converter (plural Cadillac converters)

1. (nonstandard, malapropism, chiefly Southern US) Synonym of catalytic converter
   • 1992, Ricardo Cortez Cruz, Straight Outta Compton, University of Alabama Press (→ISBN), page 65:

     Anyway, wherever he was, all he ever talked about was Cadillac converters and pipe.

   • 2008, Gilbert A. Knowles, Help Them Pull Their Pants Up: How Mentors and Communities Can Empower Young African American Men, iUniverse (→ISBN), page 28:

     He then asked, “What is a Cadillac converter?” At this point, I'm thinking he doesn 't know much about cars; therefore, I went on to explain.

   • 2011, Robert Hartwell Fiske, Robert Hartwell Fiske's Dictionary of Unendurable English: A Compendium of Mistakes in Grammar, Usage, and Spelling with commentary on lexicographers and linguists, Simon and Schuster (→ISBN), page 86:

     We were a strong competitor throughout the competition, but then the Cadillac converter fell off, which hurt our emissions and place in the overall standings.

   • 2015, Robert Alden Rubin, Going to Hell in a Hen Basket: An Illustrated Dictionary of Modern Malapropisms, Flatiron Books (→ISBN), page 39:

     Cadillac converter Confuses GM's luxury brand with the catalytic ...