three-ring circus

three-ring circus

A chaotic situation, often one in which a lot of activity is occurring simultaneously. I felt like I was in a three-ring circus when I babysat my neighbor's three noisy, mischievous children. Without the boss around, the business quickly devolved into a three-ring circus.
See also: circus
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

three-ring circus

A situation of complete confusion, as in It was a three-ring circus, with the baby crying, the dog barking, both telephones ringing, and someone at the front door . This term alludes to a circus where three rings or arenas are featuring performances simultaneously. Perhaps invented by show business impresario P.T. Barnum, the term was extended to other confused situations by about 1900.
See also: circus
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

a three-ring circus

AMERICAN
If you describe a situation as a three-ring circus, you mean there is a lot of noisy or confused activity. Grief was a private thing, not something to be turned into a three-ring circus by over-eager reporters. Cooking needn't be a three-ring circus of sweat and tears.
See also: circus
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

a three-ring circus

1 a circus with three rings for simultaneous performances. 2 a public spectacle, especially one with little substance.
2 1998 Spectator Along the way, these meetings have lost all that might have made them worthwhile…and have turned into a travelling three-ring circus.
See also: circus
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

three-ring circus, a

An occasion of utter confusion. This late nineteenth-century Americanism alludes to a circus in which three rings or arenas are featuring performances at the same time. Possibly invented by P. T. Barnum, the epitome of American show business entrepreneurs, the term was transferred to other extravagant events and disorderly situations by about 1900. Rudyard Kipling used it in A Diversity of Creatures (1914): “I can see lots of things from here. It’s like a three-ring circus!”
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • a three-ring circus
  • three-ring circus, a
  • like a three-ring circus
  • crumb-crusher
  • cruncher
  • crunchers
  • crumb-cruncher
  • snafu
  • balloon goes up, the
  • Chinese fire drill
References in periodicals archive
I attended a three-ring circus once in my childhood.
The Bell Tolls for Ringling
The 401(k) was no longer a three-ring circus you could visit every so often.
Why 401(k) investors are thankful for behavioral finance
Some would argue that advertising has always been essentially a three-ring circus. And now Cirque du Soleil, home to lavish spectacles that are today's version of the traveling big top, is literally turning the ad business into a high-wire act, as it expands aggressively into marketing and branding partnerships.
Advertising is a real circus
Washington, Apr 26 ( ANI ): Matthew McConaughey feels that fatherhood has left his life transformed into a true three-ring circus.
My house is like a circus, says Matthew McConaughey
Johnson as "a feat so unique that it almost relegated that three-ring circus of a night to a footnote in baseball history" (17).
Double No-Hit: Johnny Vander Meer's Historic Night Under the Lights
In the golden era of the three-ring circus, the whistling notes of a calliope were the sounds that beckoned children of all ages to enjoy the excitement under the big top.
Cirque Du Charlie: a little boy's birthday potty promises big-top fun for all his friends
From oddities and sideshows of long ago to the three-ring circus we have today, many changes have taken place.
Three ring circus
The three-ring circus of the imagination will be full of energy, and promises to dazzle audiences with secret special effects originating in the classic 19th century European marionette theatre, a statement from a BSF official said.
Karromato show to enthrall Bahrain audience
A wooden circus by a group from the Czech Republic, Karromato, will bring various theatrical backgrounds to a three-ring circus made with wooden marionettes alongside traditional music on June 26- 29 at 5pm.
Hot acts set for summer
Finally, there was the story that quickly became--and continues to be--the buzz of the Little Rock legal community: a three-ring circus involving the USA Drug pharmacy chain, three accused embezzlers and their cadre of attorneys in federal criminal court and state and federal civil court.
Bad behavior, death among 2011's top online news stories
"[T]here's probably too much going on here, even for a three-ring circus, and so many colorful characters that the protagonists can seem a bit underdeveloped.
The Night Circus
This time Marlo and Milton Faust find themselves in Fibble, a three-ring circus run by P.
Basye, Dale E. Fibble: The Fourth Circle of Heck
It is mortifying that Sky are rubbing their hands with glee as viewers across Britain tune into watch the three-ring circus that Scotland calls football.
Strife is bad business for Old Firm; OPINION
A Watching American politics deteriorate in a three-ring circus. Thank you, tea party movement.
Stars abound at New Year party; Clubs
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Monday kicked off its 54th General Conference with the participation of the State of Kuwait.The Kuwaiti delegation is expected to sign later in the day a nuclear cooperation agreement with the Russian Federation.Senior officials and representatives from 151 IAEA Member States are gathering in the five-day conference to address issues ranging from the IAEAs budget and plan of work for the coming year, to resolutions on development and security issues chiefly those in the Middle East.IAEA Deputy Director General David Waller explains that the GC works almost like a "three-ring circus".
IAEA''s general confernce kicks off