zoo

A humorous simplification of the evolution of simple organisms to sea life, to early mammals, to primates, to humans. Typically used as a sarcastic dismissal of the theory of evolution. So, what, you just think that slime grew on a rock, and it somehow eventually turned into us? From goo to you, by way of the zoo, is that it?

Some place or thing is busy, crowded, and/or chaotic. Primarily heard in US. I'm not going to the store on a Sunday, it's always a zoo then! Oh, it's a real zoo at this birthday party with 30 six-year-olds.

A large group of people are eating together in an uncivilized, unorganized, or uncontrolled manner. Every day at 12:30, it's feeding time at the zoo in the cafeteria. I usually just avoid it and eat on my own in the courtyard.

obsolete slang A house or apartment rented by a group of several female flight attendants (formerly known as stewardesses). A crude reference to the stereotype of such women being known for carefree or wild behavior in their personal lives. My grandmother was actually living in one of these stew zoos when she met my grandfather. She had to share it with four other women because it was the only way they could all afford to live in New York City.

An expression used to describe a place or thing is busy, crowded, and/or chaotic. Ugh, the grocery store on a Sunday—what a zoo. A birthday party with 30 six-year-olds? What a zoo.

slang Drunk. The party turned into a bit of a mess after everyone got zooed on the cheap vodka that Dave brought. She's too zooed to talk, let alone drive home!

Also, what a zoo. This is a place or situation of confusion and/or disorder. For example, Mary's got all these house guests with children and pets-it's a zoo, or We're in the midst of moving our office and files are all over the place-what a zoo! [Slang; late 1800s]

People say it's a zoo to mean that a situation is noisy and uncontrolled. Les Baux's views may be gorgeous, but at nearly two million visitors a year, it's a zoo.

An apartment house in which many female flight attendants lived. Back in prepolitically correct days, female flight attendants were called “stewardesses” and had the reputation for being attractive and, even better to the male mind, “fun” (Frank Sinatra's hit ballad “Come Fly with Me” became something of an anthem). Stewardesses (or a many self-styled hip males called them “stewardii”) shared apartments, a rentsaving arrangement that appealed to their lifestyle because one or more was usually traveling. Apartment buildings in large cities, especially ones with easy access to airports, that attracted the young women were known as “stew zoos.”