dicky-seat
Noun: 1. A small third seat in the back of an old-fashioned two-seater automobile: A dickey-seat (also spelled dickey seat or dickie-seat) is an auxiliary, often foldable or rumble, seat located at the rear of a vintage car, typically a convertible or roadster, that was not originally designed as a two-door sedan. It is an extra seat that is less comfortable and less protected than the main seats.
- Noun:
- The children fought over who got to ride in the dicky-seat of the vintage roadster.
- We squeezed into the dicky-seat for a short, breezy ride through the countryside.
- "to ride in the dicky-seat": to be a passenger in this auxiliary seat.
- As the youngest, I always had to ride in the dicky-seat.
- Dickey-seat (n): An alternative, more common spelling of "dicky-seat".
- Rumble seat (n): A specific type of fold-out exterior seat at the back of a car, often synonymous with a dickey-seat in general usage.
- Dicky (n, informal): A shortened, informal form that can refer to the seat itself.
- Hop in the dicky!
- Rumble seat: An external folding seat.
- Jump seat: A small auxiliary seat, though this often refers to seats inside aircraft or vehicles, not specifically the exterior rear seat.
The term is primarily historical, referring to a feature of early 20th-century automobiles. It describes a seat that is exposed to the elements and is considered a novelty or less desirable seating position compared to the main cabin. The word "dicky" itself is an old informal term for something that is weak, unsound, or unreliable, which may humorously reflect the seat's less secure nature.
- a small third seat in the back of an old-fashioned two-seater