Meaning of handbrake turn | Babel Free

Definitions

1. An automobile driving manoeuvre where the driver starts turning the vehicle and then pulls on the handbrake to make the rear tyres lose adhesion and thus cause the back of the vehicle to slide around (in the direction of the turn).
2. An abrupt change of opinion.
   figuratively

Equivalents

Examples

“The man did a handbrake turn, putting the car into a wild spin.”

“The Tony Blair who told his party conference that he has no reverse gear has performed a screaming handbrake turn for a man he once described as an 'absolute disaster'.”

“The argument that we cannot take part because of our history no longer holds true. This volte-face - a political handbrake turn, compared with the policies that Schröder's predecessor as SPD (Social Democrats) leader had stood for - was made simpler by the fact that the shift in German public opinion was as dramatic as the politicians' change of heart.”

“Can I turn now to your handbrake turn on SIPPs, where you have prohibited all investment in residential property.”

“Nevertheless, Rangers, hitherto wary of compromising any Champions League involvement, have now performed a handbrake turn and come out in support of such an arrangement.”

“It might make her look a bit ridiculous (she never criticised the delegate system when she thought she was going to win), but then Mrs Clinton seems to have what one of her supporters called the "testicular fortitude" to carry off that kind of handbrake turn.”

CEFR level