chinese fire drill

Questions

What does chinese fire drill mean?

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.

Where does chinese fire drill come from?

Perhaps from the World War I era, from the former Western use of Chinese as an ethnic and racial slur; now used only as a festive exclamation.

How to pronounce chinese fire drill

1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “chinese fire drill”.
2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “chinese fire drill”.
4. Repeat and practice — Say “chinese fire drill” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.