What is the colloquial term for a manual transmission?

The colloquial term for a manual transmission is “stick shift.”

The phrase comes from the prominent shift stick, or gear stick, that the driver moves to select gears. In a manual car, the driver coordinates that lever with the clutch pedal and accelerator instead of letting the transmission choose ratios automatically. In the United States, “stick shift” commonly refers both to the transmission and, informally, to a car equipped with one.

Terminology varies by region. “Manual gearbox,” “manual transmission,” and “standard transmission” are also widely used, while “gear lever,” “gearshift,” and “shifter” describe the control itself. “Paddle shift” is different: paddles are steering-wheel-mounted controls used by many automated manuals, dual-clutch transmissions, and some automatics.

Manual transmissions were once the normal arrangement in many passenger cars. Constant-mesh designs became increasingly common from the 1950s, and five- and six-speed units later became widespread. Today, “stick shift” remains especially recognizable even as automatic and continuously variable transmissions dominate many markets.