No, everyone doesn't "know what it means" hence the comment.

When words is all you have use the right ones otherwise you get the wrong answers.

Unless his exhaust is suck birds out of the air and small kids off the sidewalks it's not "backfiring" out the exhaust, it's misfiring.

They say there are no such thing as a stupid question.
They say there is always the exception that proves the rule.
Don't be the exception.