clown car

[ kloun kahr ]

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of clown car¹

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

Example Sentences

Just take a look at the clown car full of minions and allies that the president-elect has assembled for his top spots.

From Los Angeles Times

A clown car full of grifters and kooks, meanwhile, used the primaries as an opportunity to suck up to Trump, whom everyone knew would inevitably be the nominee.

From Salon

He has professional lawyers working on this case, not the clown car he rolled out for his civil trials.

From Salon

Trump surrounds himself with losers like Rudy Giuliani, Jenna Ellis and the clown car full of pillow pitchmen and conspiracy-mongers who tried to manage his coup attempt.

From Salon

Not surprisingly, Reid has a fan club of old pals in L.A. who used to rumble around with him in his beat-up 1968 Volkswagen bug that was stuffed with classmates like a clown car.

From Los Angeles Times