sword swallowing
Gulping steel blades
Sword swallowing is the performance art of passing a blade down the throat and into the stomach.
It's a genuine physical feat requiring training to suppress the gag reflex and align the esophagus, not a trick with collapsible props: The carnival featured fire-eating and sword swallowing.
The phrase sometimes describes any difficult thing forced down: Voting for that bill was political sword swallowing.
- gulletThroat or food passage
- throatNeck's inner passage
- entertainmentAgreeable diversion of attention
- gag reflexThroat's protective contraction
- circusesTraveling entertainment shows
esophagus · steel blade · circus arts · deep throat · fire eating · stunt performers · daggers · shows · amazement · shock value · escapology · human cannonball · spectacle · risk-taking · novelty acts · knife throwing · performance art · Coney Island
- circus actsacrobat, acrobats, trapeze artist, juggling, jugglers
- folk entertainmentfolk dancing, folk theater, busking, street performance, street theater
- live actsmagic show, comedy act, circus act, variety act, solo act
- party trickscard tricks, card trick, magic trick, magic tricks, spoon bending
- performance skillsmagic, illusions, sleight of hand, juggling, mime
- risky activitiesRussian roulette, chicken, cliff diving, bull riding, bungee jumping
sword swallowingregurgitation
Ejecting swallowed material
fire breathing · vomiting · spitting · disgorging · expulsion
sword swallowingmime
Wordless expressive performer
balloon twisting · face painting · card tricks · puppetry · ventriloquism
sword, swallow, swords, swordsman, swordsmanship, swallows, swallowed, swallowing, swallower