clown car

American  

[kloun kahr] / ˈklaʊn ˌkɑr /

noun

1. a very small car used in a comedic circus routine, in which the normal passenger capacity is greatly exceeded by the numerous clowns who climb out from inside.

2. Informal. a group whose size seems absurdly excessive for the purported function of the group, and whose effectiveness is therefore questionable.

   The planning committee has added yet another member to its clown car, almost guaranteeing further delays.

3. Informal. a small car.

   He used to call my old Beetle a clown car, but when gas prices soared, I got the last laugh.

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Etymology

Origin of clown car

First recorded in 1950–55; from a comedy routine used in the Cole Bros. Circus

Example Sentences

He’d entered the league thrust into the position of savior, a 21-year-old high draft pick from USC trapped in a Meadowlands clown car.

From The Wall Street Journal

“This thing is a clown car she’s got going on,” Fredericks said.

From Salon

In an interview with The Hill, conservative talk show host John Fredericks compared Earle-Sears’s campaign to a “clown car.”

From Salon

Though its height is that of a monster truck, it has the feel of a clown car.

From Los Angeles Times

When asked about McAfee potentially being tapped for a federal food advisory role, Marler wrote in an email: “Clown Car.”

From Los Angeles Times