Post AWQOc4IzGhGDiwhyCW by JohnDA@social.vivaldi.net
 (DIR) More posts by JohnDA@social.vivaldi.net
 (DIR) Post #AWQEYMj9pn9o9vXqFc by jasonrush@social.horrorhub.club
       2023-06-06T17:00:00Z
       
       0 likes, 1 repeats
       
       Help me out here... If you have a single person hanging out with a couple, are they a third wheel or a fifth wheel?I've always said fifth wheel because a fifth wheel is superfluous. A third wheel is a tricycle, which is a perfectly legitimate mode of transportation. But two critique partners, without talking to each other, just corrected me. Have I been wrong all this time?cc/ @grammargirl #AmWriting #AmEditing #Idioms
       
 (DIR) Post #AWQEYNbkYopGtF5RLM by grammargirl@zirk.us
       2023-06-06T17:55:28Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @jasonrush In the U.S., I've only ever heard "third wheel."
       
 (DIR) Post #AWQFMapteWpeOaeC5Q by jasonrush@social.horrorhub.club
       2023-06-06T18:04:30Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @grammargirl So interesting! I've always heard "fifth wheel," also in the US, but the poll results are definitely skewing toward "third."
       
 (DIR) Post #AWQOc4IzGhGDiwhyCW by JohnDA@social.vivaldi.net
       2023-06-06T19:48:11Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @grammargirl @jasonrush Same in New Zealand, though I suspect we got it from the U.S.I couldn’t find any mention of ‘third wheel’ in _OED_. Curiously, same with _Merriam Webster_, which does have ‘fifth wheel’ https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fifth%20wheel_OED_ also lists ‘fifth wheel’ under the entry ‘Wheel’ with the note “chiefly U.S.”