third wheel or fifth wheel

F - T

fifth wheel or third wheel

Meaning | Synonyms

• a person who is in a situation where they are not needed
• an extra and unnecessary person or thing
• also known as “fifth wheel“

Example Sentences

1. I was the only person at the dinner party without a date. I felt like a third wheel.
2. I felt like a fifth wheel when I couldn’t speak English well with my English teacher.
3. I’m going, I don’t want to be a fifth wheel.
4. I quit my bank job and am preparing for civil service. Now I feel like I am a third wheel.
5. The way I live my life, I always feel like a fifth wheel.

Origin

This phrase originated from an extra wheel that was on four-wheel coaches, carriages, and wagons (American).

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