sideshow

American  

[sahyd-shoh] / ˈsaɪdˌʃoʊ /

noun

1. a minor show or exhibition in connection with a principal one, as at a circus.

2. any subordinate event or matter.

---

sideshow British  

/ ˈsaɪdˌʃəʊ /

noun

1. a small show or entertainment offered in conjunction with a larger attraction, as at a circus or fair

2. a subordinate event or incident

---

Etymology

Origin of sideshow

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50

Example Sentences

Some analysts say the vote is a sideshow.

From Barron's

Surrealism continues to fuel artists’ and viewers’ imaginations, but it has increasingly become art’s carnival sideshow.

From The Wall Street Journal

But on Friday in Miami, that sideshow collides with boxing's top tier as Paul faces two-time heavyweight world champion and Olympic gold medallist Anthony Joshua.

From BBC

I feel like a sideshow attraction being led in on a leash.

From Literature

In seeking to explain his plunge into the fifth round, some pointed to concerns about Shedeur’s personality and the sideshow of being the son of “Coach Prime.”

From The Wall Street Journal