sideshow
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
An incident in which drivers block traffic to perform stunts like donuts and burnouts for an extended period of time.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
The spontaneous street party is the center of Oakland's recently developing Hyphy culture, but has a long history in Oakland car culture and hip hop. A sideshow is essentially a spontaneous street party in which one might “ghostride the whip” (get out while driving), “gas brake dip,” or even “scrape
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “sideshow” mean?
An incident in which drivers block traffic to perform stunts like donuts and burnouts for an extended period of time.
Is “sideshow” formal or informal?
sideshow is generally slang.