Quote
1. Quote - Listen to the quote and guess what the slang means.
“I wasn’t wild at all as a teenager. I was always the designated driver when everyone went out dancing and drinking.”
- Actress Lauren Graham talking about her not-so-rebellious teen years. (Us Weekly)
Definition
1. Definition - Study the definition.
someone who doesn’t drink so she can drive her friends home
2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.
Most people like to go out and party every once and a while. But not the actress Lauren Graham. She says she has never been very wild. When she was a teenager, she didn’t like to drink, so she would be the designated driver for all her friends. When they got too drunk to drive home, Lauren would give them a ride. It was safe for her to drive, since she always stayed sober.
Drunk driving can be dangerous. It’s also illegal. In the US, if you’ve had just 2 or 3 drinks you may be over the legal limit for how much alcohol you’re allowed to have in your body while driving. If you get caught, you’ll probably have to pay a big fine, lose your license, or maybe even go to jail! That’s why a designated driver is a good thing to have.
But finding a designated driver can be tough. Who (besides Lauren Graham) wants to be the only sober person at a party? And who wants to drive everyone home at the end of the night? If no one wants to be the designated driver, you can always take public transportation or walk home after a night at the bars. Or, if that’s impossible, you can call a taxi. Cabs can be expensive, but sometimes they’re just worth it.
When you go out, do you have a designated driver? Would you mind being the designated driver for your friends?
Examples
1. Examples - Hear some example sentences.
“Graham doesn’t like to drink very much, so he is usually our designated driver.”
“I usually get stuck being the designated driver when my friends and I go out, because I’m the only one with my own car.”
“Our designated driver got wasted, so we ended up having to take a cab home from the party.”