clown car
The term "clown car" originated from circus performances where a small vehicle humorously accommodates an implausibly large number of clowns, and it has since been extended metaphorically to describe various chaotic or overcrowded situations.
Definition
B2Circus
(comedy)A small vehicle from which an unrealistically large number of clowns emerge, used to create a humorous effect.
Example
- The audience laughed as more and more clowns squeezed out of the tiny clown car.
B1General
(humorous, informal)A very small car, often referred to humorously.
Example
- He drove up in a tiny clown car that barely fit two people.
B2General
(idiomatic)A situation where a large number of people or items emerge from a small space, often in a surprising or chaotic manner.
Example
- The elevator opened and it was like a clown car, people just kept coming out.
C1Politics
(derogatory, informal)A disorganized group of candidates or participants, often implying a lack of seriousness or competence.
Example
- The debate felt like a clown car, with too many candidates talking over each other.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "clown car":
clown shoeclown noseclown worldtrap carflying circuszombie carmidget car