Buzz
Reader Emily asks, 'Why do we call it a Chinese fire drill when everyone exits a halted car, runs around it, and then gets back in to resume the journey?'
The use of 'Chinese' as a term of derision, implying disorganization or confusion, can be traced back to at least the First World War, possibly even earlier, during the first interactions between Europeans and the Chinese. British soldiers during World War I used the term to describe inept pilots as 'Chinese aces,' rough landings as 'Chinese landings,' and chaotic situations as 'Chinese fire drills.'
The exact origin of the phrase is unclear, but it is thought to stem from an actual fire drill conducted aboard an early 20th-century British ship. According to the story, British officers had their Chinese crew practice fire-fighting procedures for an engine room fire. One brigade would fetch water from the starboard side and bring it to the engine room, while another group would discard it by tossing it over the port side. At one point, confusion set in, and the crews began drawing water from one side only to dump it on the other, without addressing the fire itself.
American soldiers who fought alongside the British during both World Wars returned home with the phrase, which eventually became associated with the car game. Though it was first documented in the 1970s, it may have been in use for a longer period.
