shit show

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shit show

/ʃɪt ʃoʊ/ US

Where it comes from

From shit + show. First use in print appears circa 1976. See cite below.

noun shit shows · shit-show · shitshow

slang, vulgar A situation characterized by chaos, confusion, and incompetence. Near-synonyms: shitstorm, clown show (degrees of tragedy or dark comedy vary across instances); clusterfuck, debacle, fiasco, hot mess, omnishambles, perfect storm
Similar: crapshow, shitstorm, clown show, clusterfuck, debacle, fiasco, hot mess, omnishambles, perfect storm
slang, vulgar A messy situation, especially involving drunkenness and partying. We won't be going to those parties anymore if they're not going to be anything better than a shit show full of shitfaced debauchery.

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MLA

"shit show." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/shit%20show. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

shit show. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/shit%20show

Chicago

"shit show." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/shit%20show.

BibTeX

@misc{shit_show_2026,
  title = {shit show},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/shit%20show},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}