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Circus is a word with a long, interesting history. It is a Latin word that means "ring" or "circle."

One of the most famous places in ancient Rome was the Circus Maximus. It was a kind of roundstadium with rows of seats all around the inside of it. Roman citizens gathered there to watch races, games and violent, bloody fights.

The modern circus developed in the nineteenth century. It wasa travelling show of animals and people working under a large tent, later known as the Big Top.

Travelling circuses were popular in the United States and Britain before eighteen thirty. A circusmoved from town to town, putting on shows with trained animals, acrobats doing difficult tricks, and funny, colorful clowns.

Circuses still travel from place to place. And they still have trainedanimal acts, acrobats and clowns.

Today's circuses usually have three rings. Something different takes place in each of the three rings at the same time. The heads of people watching a circus turnback and forth as they try to see every exciting act in each ring.

The circus has been popular for so long that it is not surprising that words and expressions connected with it are part ofeveryday speech.
For example, the word circus is used to describe any noisy place with a lot of activities going on.
A teacher may use it when she walks into a room where the students are playing andtalking, instead of studying. She might say, "This place is a circus. Calm down and get your work done." And if the room is really noisy, she may say it is a three ring circus.
Clowns are a veryspecial part of the circus. They look funny with their big red noses, painted faces and clothes that are much too large for them. Everyone at a circus loves to watch the clowns do tricks on each other.Clowns have a real purpose: to make people laugh. They always succeed.
We use the expression to clown around when we talk about someone playing tricks and making jokes. Usually, a person is clowning...