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Chinese fire drill
Reference material by Wiktionary contributors. This retains its source identity and is not 411 news reporting.
English
Etymology
Perhaps from the World War I era, from the former Western use of en Chinese as an ethnic and racial slur; now used only as a festive exclamation.
Noun
Chinese fire drill
en US A prank performed while stopped in a car at a red light, and where each passenger, including the driver, shouts "Chinese fire drill", exits the vehicle, runs at least once around it, then re-enters, each taking a different seat.
en Q5100783 en US derogatory A silly, pointless exercise.
en fire drill<id:Q5100783> Polish fire drill<id:Q5100783>
Translations
prank
Polish: pl chaotyczna sytuacja f
Spanish: es simulacro de incendio de China
See also
en goat rodeo
en herding cats