Tank slapper is a phrase I've always associated with motorbikes, where it does actually make sense.

The front wheel goes light and then you end up going lock to lock on the handle bars, so practically "slapping the tank" which is where I believe the phrase originates.

This has been reduced by the addition of steering dampers, but not totally elimintated. It's scary stuff when it happens

Anyway, to the point, I see this phrase being used more and more frequently when refering to cars and I don't understand why.

Fishtailing makes sense, but not tank slapping.

Can anyone enlighten me as to why?

 

Since it's frequently the prelude to being high sided, no, not really.

But many specialist expressions fall into the vernacular parlance and the meaning is lost. As a rule of thumb!

 

I can see where you are coming from Dan. I expect people have "confused" it with the fuel slapping the outside walls of the fuel tank in a car and the notion may have stuck, but this is merely a guess

 

I've no idea but I've always used it to refer to cars I assumed it was some tenuous link to the fuel tank in the rear...

 

The car expression used to be "got all crossed-up", indicative of realising you have to move your hands round the wheel rather fast, instead of leaving them fixed at 14:45 as one can on most good cars.

Tank-slapper > tank slosher? I'm baffled by that.

 

So what we're now saying is having a baffled tank would stop you fishtailing?

 

Martin Brundle often refers to tank slappers when commentating on F1. Or that may just be some of Flavio Briatore's girlfriends...

 

I'm also sure that this phrase is due to motorbike handles violently hitting the fuel tank, and that it has just crept into other areas over time.

 

it's just attained a new meaning, regardless of the origin.

Occasionally the fuel tank, the outlet of which is on the outside of the car, will slap against the barrier or hedge or something.

 

used interchangably with fishtailing

looks the same/feels pretty much the same/means pretty much the same