CAR TALK
Here’s a glossary of some of the secret lingo—sometimes vulgar, often instructive—that many car dealerships use to describe how they conduct business.

grapes –easy marks; customers readily persuaded to pay more than they should. A salesperson will “squeeze the juice” out of them by selling them cheaper cars at prices usually attached to more expensive cars.

lay-downs - same as “grapes,” customers who will “lay down” for whatever the dealership offers.

roaches - customers with bad credit; typically said to “come out at night” because they’re embarrassed—and are thus likely to be easily manipulated.

ether - “natural” high a customer gets when inhaling a new car’s interior; a term originating from rumors the chemical was used in treating the carpets, as a way of making the customer lightheaded.

step-sell - a softening-up approach; the salesperson purposely pushes a car the customer won’t want, in order to get rid of the customer’s “No’s.” The rationale is that most people want to feel they’ve shopped around before they say “Yes.”

drop your pants - salespeople who show the customer the invoice are said to have “dropped their pants.”

back-end  - the point in the deal when the dealership sells high-priced add-ons, such as alarms, CD players, spoilers, paint protectants, and underbody sealants. The excess profit they produce is called “gravy.”

used car factory - mythical place the customer thinks exists to produce the exact color, quality, and features they want in a used car. A frustrated salesman will say, “Sorry, the used car factory is closed.”

tail-light warranty - a warranty that’s worthless once the customer’s tail lights are out of sight.