A Chinese fire drill is a prank, or perhaps an expression of high spirits, that was popular in the United States during the 1960s. It is performed when a car is stopped at a red traffic light, at which point all of the car's occupants get out, run around the car, and return to their own (or go to other) seats. Chinese Fire Drills are sometimes executed when one needs to get something from the trunk of a car. Occasionally, if one of the participants is late to get inside the car, the others might drive off without him/her. People have reported this phenomenon as early as the 1940s, so it is possible that the phrase was current at the time, but simply was not written down that early. The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

The term is also used as a figure of speech to mean any large, ineffective, and chaotic exercise. In this usage, it is often shortened to just "fire drill," omitting the offensive insinuation that Chinese people are more likely to engage in such disorderly activity. Distribution of Han Chinese and other ethnolinguistic groups in China The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following: A person who resides in and holds citizenship of the Peoples Republic of China (including Hong Kong and Macau) or the Republic of China. ...

Origins of the term

The phrase Chinese Fire Drill, in the sense of "a state of utter confusion," first appeared during World War II. Chinese here comes from British military tradition of using the word to mean clumsy, inept, or inferior. It is likely that this was not intended as a slur on the Chinese people, but rather a play on the phrase "one wing low" which referred to a clumsy pilot and was thought to sound Chinese. Regardless of its origin, it is considered offensive by some. [1] [2]

The use of this term to refer to the car prank first appeared in print during the 1970s, though several people have attested to this usage as far back as the 1940s.

Other uses

Some people in the U.S. use the term Chinese fire drill to refer to a driver changing over one or more lanes too quickly.[3]

Popular Culture

There is a song called Chinese Firedrill on the Mike Watt CD, Ball-Hog or Tugboat?. Michael David Watt (born December 20, 1957 in Portsmouth, Virginia) is a bass guitarist, singer and songwriter, best-known for co-founding the punk rock bands The Minutemen and fIREHOSE; as of 2003, he is also the bassist for the reunited Iggy Pop & The Stooges. ... Ball-Hog Or Tugboat? is the debut solo album by former Minutemen and fIREHOSE bassist, songwriter and vocalist Mike Watt. ...