What do you call it when you take a U-Turn?

[seaglass]

I've always heard and and sometimes used the phrase "banging a uey."

But this book I'm reading, calls it hanging a "louie" - this is making me crazy because I don't know whether "louie" is a regional term that I've never heard of or if both the writer and editor have no idea that it's called a uey, not a louie.

So have you ever heard a U-turn called a louie?

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

1. A louie is a left turn. A uey is a u-turn.

:headbang:

[seaglass]

3. Ah thanks - it was making me crazy because the author uses

the term a lot.

She did use it at least once for making a u-turn and that's why I thought that was what she meant all the time. :-)

[Bucky]

2. No, hangin' a louie is just turning left (but potentially a U-turn). As opposed to hangin' a reggie.

Personally, I'm more inclined to make an ampersand turn. It's much more exciting than a boring old U turn.

[KamaAina]

18. A reggie? I always thought a right was a "ralph".

:shrug:

[Rabrrrrrr]

4. as others said, a "louie" is merely a left turn.

[kentauros]

5. Personally, I call it a huey

and I don't think I heard or read that anywhere. It just seemed like a natural way of slanging it :)

[Moondog]

10. + 1

[bigwillq]

6. U-turn (nt)

[kwassa]

7. well, there is huey, dewey, and louie, aren't there?

[PassingFair]

8. And then there's the "Michigan left" , which is a kind of Uey...

[Soylent Brice]

9. my sister in arizona calls it "flipping a bitch"

not kidding.

[EndersDame]

13. Is your sister named penny by any chance?

[snooper2]

14. we used to call it "busting a bitch"

for some reason..This was in Missery though where it's illegal

[Dora]

25. I call it that, and I'm from AZ.

Huh. Go figure.

[Iggo]

11. Depends on who's in the car.

See Reply #9.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

12. Huey, Louie and Ralph

U-turn. Left, Right....
or make a bat turn for hang a huey

[Demoiselle]

15. For your information:

My people refer to a right turn as a "Rachel."

[fizzgig]

16. never heard that

i say flip a bitch (no idea where i picked it up) and my guy says whip a shitty.

[Eyerish]

19. Same here...

My fiance I use both of those terms.

[JVS]

20. I thought whipping shitties was what other people call doing doughnuts

[stray cat]

17. u-turn

[armyowalgreens]

21. Flipping a bitch

[Kali]

22. another Arizonan for flipping a bitch

but have heard/used hanging a uey. Hang or take a right/left. NEVER heard louie, ralph or any of those - interesting!

[seaglass]

23. I asked my husband and he said hanging a louie is spitting.

:rofl:

[mikeiddy]

26. I thought the term for that was "hocking a loogie" (nt)

[proteus_lives]

24. I always called it "pulling a uey."

But I've heard "louie" before.

[Xithras]

27. Uey. FYI for west coasters, Flip a Bitch is derogatory.

Depending on which origin story you believe, it's either a reference to the old canard that women can't drive and get lost easily (so they're always making U-Turns to get where they were going), or a reference to having to turn around because the female in the car was bitching at you and made you miss your turn.

Either way, it's a derogatory term. It's very common on the west coast, but it's derogatory nonetheless.

[Kali]

28. I thought it might be derogatory because

it had to do with flipping over a passed-out drunk to um "do" other side...your version is much milder

then again life is one so...:shrug:

[Xithras]

29. I've also heard that it's a reference to prostitutes

I.e., flipping a uey to chase down a streetwalker.

Lot's of origin theories with this one. There's probably no way to know how it really started, but none of them are particularly friendly towards women.