When there are two couples and a fifth person who is not in a couple, the extra person is known as a fifth wheel - a situation in which may feel uncomfortable to some people
Etymology:
- It is a 16thcentury French proverb. Since we know that all vehicles have specific wheels for them, for instance a unicycle is comprised of one wheel, a bicycle has two, there are three wheels in tricycle and cars, buses and wagons have four wheels, there is not a vehicle which has five wheels. The fifth wheel we can say is additional, not needed or extra. In the same way any person joining the two couples will be a “fifth wheel”.
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Bert and his wife and Ernie and his wife are going. Oscar said he didn't want to go with them because he would feel like a fifth wheel.
Submitted by TriplePurple on April 14, 2024
Modified by TriplePurple on April 14, 2024
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Nearby phrases
Some more phrases from our dictionary similar to fifth wheel
squeaky wheel gets the greaseGerman wheelset one's shoulder to the wheelat the wheelthe squeaky wheel gets the grease/oilkeep your hands on the wheelPut Your Shoulder to the Wheelplead the fifthtake the wheelbehind the wheelput one's shoulder to the wheelreinvent the wheelplead the fifth"whoever sleeps at the wheel, wake…
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"fifth wheel." Phrases.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 Nov. 2024. <https://www.phrases.com/phrase/fifth-wheel_64278>.
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