kick the tires (English, verb)
expansion: kick the tires (third-person singular simple present kicks the tires, present participle kicking the tires, simple past and past participle kicked the tires)
Senses:
glosses: To inspect something to ensure it meets expected standards or has favored characteristics, typically before committing to purchasing or otherwise selecting it.
tags: colloquial
idiomatic
qualifier: originally
glosses: To inspect a vehicle's tires by kicking them to check for defects or poor quality.
tags: literally
Forms:
form: kicks the tires
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: kicking the tires
tags: participle
present
form: kicked the tires
tags: participle
past
form: kicked the tires
tags: past
form: kick the tyres
tags: alternative