tailgate

tailgate

1. To follow so closely behind a vehicle that a collision is very likely or inevitable should the vehicle in front suddenly slow down or stop. I failed my driving test for tailgating this guy ahead of me who was going really slow. It is illegal to tailgate on the freeway in this state.
2. To organize or participate in a party or picnic that takes place near one or more parked cars, usually before or during sports events. Are you guys tailgating again this weekend? I'd love to come along! The last time we decided to tailgate, John got so drunk that he missed the entire football game.

tailgate party

A party or picnic that takes place in the parking lot of an arena or venue where an event is being held, especially a sporting event or concert. So named because participants typically accessing food and drinks from the trunks of cars or the beds of pickup trucks (whose tailgates are down). The best part of a tailgate party is grilling and talking and drinking with all the other fans.
See also: party, tailgate
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

tailgate

1. tv. & in. to follow (someone) too closely in a car. That guy tailgating me is drunk, I think.
2. in. to have a tailgate party. We planned to tailgate before the game, but it was massively cold.

tailgate party

n. a small party held on the folded-down tailgate of a station wagon in a parking lot. (Something that is done before a ball game, concert, etc.) They had a tailgate party before the Bears game.
See also: party, tailgate
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
See also:
  • make a pit stop
  • tow (someone or something) out of (something or some place)
  • tow out
  • tow into
  • tow (someone or something) into (something or some place)
  • in park
  • roar off
  • tow in
  • ride by
  • tow away
References in periodicals archive
I have found that many tailgaters now spend over $700 a year on food and supplies for up to 10 tailgates a season and usually arrive at the stadium three to four hours before kickoff.
Tales of a tailgater
* Saluki Athletics tailgate is open to all fans from 3-6 p.m.
Deadline to register for Saluki Football Fan Bus to SEMO is Aug. 25
Whether one is working on a project, preparing for a camping trip or barbecuing on a desert adventure, a pickup's tailgate can often serve as a useful work surface.
An industry first -- GMC Sierra with MultiPro tailgate
To repair the tailgate problem, dealers will open the tailgate and install a block that will prevent it from opening unintentionally.
Dodge Ram Trucks Recalled For Power-Locking Tailgate Issue
PHIL's new Autogate Tailgate for Komatsu rigid frame trucks is designed with a traditional outrigger that bolts to the undercarriage of the off-highway truck.
Philippi-Hagenbuch Innovates New Tailgate Style
The unit is essentially a standard tailgate split in a 60/40 fashion.
Ram to equip 1500 pickup truck with Ram Multifunction Tailgate
Escalade Sports expects the acquisition of Victory Tailgate to be accretive to its business results beginning in 2019.
Escalade Sports Acquires Victory Tailgate Sports to Strengthen Position in Outdoor Games, Licensing Portfolio
During the U type ventilation of longwalls (with exploitation being carried out under conditions of high methane hazard), the highest methane concentration levels are present in the intersection area between the longwall and the tailgate (the called upper corner of the longwall).
The Impact of Airway Geometry on the Distribution of Methane Concentrations at the Outlet from a Longwall
It seems that middle lane hoggers and drivers who tailgate others continue to annoy road users ...
Tailgating on motorways still a problem
When asked why they tailgate, 33 per cent of the respondents blamed the slow vehicles in front of them; 23 per cent said they are 'running late'; and 10 per cent replied that they are tailgated too.
41% UAE motorists admit to tailgating, finds study
There axe certain items necessary for any tailgate party.
Cover the Spread: Know What Your Customers Want to Create a Tailgating Destination
In addition, the hands-free liftgate system which enables the tailgate to be opened by simply kicking your foot underneath the rear bumper has been introduced by a car maker [1].
A Tailgate(Trunk) Control System Based on Acoustic Patterns
The Rebel/Bulldog Tailgate Challenge, held annually in Pontotoc, brings fans and families together two weeks before the first kickoff of the season.
Tailgate challenge fires up community spirit: two weeks before kickoff of the college football season, the courthouse square in Pontotoc is transformed into a sea of Red and Blue and Maroon and White
Of the 61 percent who tailgate, 29 percent tailgate grill at a sports stadium or arena, while 40 percent grill at home for sporting events, showing the tailgating experience is not limited to the site of the game.
Fire up the grill
Conshohocken, PA, August 17, 2016 --(PR.com)-- With Hillary and Donald talking about the importance of Made-In-USA manufacturing, and football tailgate season underway, a new outdoor game has Olympic size dreams.
Make America Tailgate Again