General
struggle buggy
What does struggle buggy mean?
A young man's automobile viewed as a site of romantic wrestling, where a date 'struggled' to fend off advances.
"He pulled the struggle buggy down a dark lane and she rolled her eyes."
Origin
1920s American courtship slang, born when affordable automobiles gave young couples unprecedented privacy. The term reflects the era's anxiety about back-seat romance and is noted in period slang glossaries of Jazz Age courtship culture.
Frequently asked questions
What is a struggle buggy?
1920s slang for a car used for courting, named for the romantic 'struggle' that went on in the back seat.
Why did cars get courtship slang in the 1920s?
Mass-produced automobiles let young couples escape the chaperoned parlor, so a whole vocabulary grew around dating in cars.
Is struggle buggy the same as a Tin Lizzie?
Not exactly. A Tin Lizzie was specifically a Ford Model T. A struggle buggy was any car defined by its romantic use.
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Vocabulary Flow — saved to your collection.
