Chinese fire drill
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Contents |
[edit] English
[edit] Etymology
Perhaps from the WWI era, from the British practice of using Chinese as a slur; now used only as a festive exclamation.
[edit] Noun
Chinese fire drill (plural Chinese fire drills)
- A prank performed while stopped in a car at a red-light; each passenger (including the driver) shouts "Chinese fire drill", exits the vehicle, runs at least once around it, then re-enters, taking a different seat.
- (derogatory) A silly, pointless exercise.
[edit] Translations
- Spanish: simulacro de incendio de China
[edit] Usage notes
Although this term seems to have lost all traces of an insulting meaning, it is possible some might be offended.
