mutton busting
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.87 in modern English
18
Scrabble Score
13
Letters
4
Syllables
9
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A form of entertainment, akin to bull riding, where young children compete to hold onto the back of sheep for as long as possible.
Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "See all these sheep over there? All those kids are gonna be racing. […] What's this called again? Mutton busting. Mutton busting?"
- "What is mutton busting? […] Apparently, in certain parts of the country it's perfectly acceptable to take your 2- to 6-year-old child, strap a helmet on their tiny, fragile, still-growing head and throw them on the back of a frantic sheep in front of a cheering audience. It's a very, very real thing at junior rodeos, […]"
- "But mutton busting quickly caught on and is now a staple at rodeos and fairs around the country, and even overseas, despite occasional opposition from animal rights groups."
- "I feel like having all of the livestock exhibits and shows under one roof has been fun and educational for our fair families as well as the public. […] Our truck and tractor pull were well attended, and we had some great reviews on that. [T]he mutton busting area was packed!"
Etymology
From mutton (“sheep”) + busting (“turning an animal into a beast of burden”), modeled on the phrase bronco busting.