Puncture a tyre?

[Mehrgan]

Hi all,
Does a vandal puncture a tyre? How about let a tyre down, and slash a tyre? Does slash here mean a cut? How about making a hole in it?


Ta!

[SoothingDave]

We would say "slash" in the US, usually. Vandalism is violent and the violent image of "slash" works best.

[azcl]

***Not a teacher***

Hi all,
Does a vandal puncture a tyre? How about let a tyre down, and slash a tyre? Does slash here mean a cut? How about making a hole in it?


Ta!

Puncture a tyre (make a hole in it) - yes, this is valid
Let a tyre down (take off the valve tap and let the air out) - yes, valid
Slash a tyre (cut is with a knife or sharp object) - yes, valid
Making a hole in it - either puncturing or piercing the tyre.

Ade

[Ouisch]

In AmE, a punctured tire is referred to as "flat." A person might return to his car at the end of the work day and find one of his tires flat. When he changes the tire he'll notice that there is a nail stuck in it. Technically, the nail has punctured the tire, but we rarely describe a flat tire as a "puncture" in AmE.

And, as Dave mentioned, if a vandal purposely flattens your tires, we say that they have been "slashed."