coconut shy

English

Noun

coconut shy (plural coconut shies)

1. A traditional fairground amusement where customers throw balls at a row of coconuts in an attempt to knock one off its support and thereby win it.
   • 2012, Lynda La Plante, The Legacy, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN:

     With his two aides he had wandered around and had a few goes on the coconut shy, but he was so strong that one of the balls had not only knocked the coconut off its stand but split the stand in two.

   • 2015, James R. Curwood, Lucy, AuthorHouse, →ISBN, page 238:

     A coconut shy stood close by and swing boats swung like giant pendulums against a background of blossoming shrubs blazing with colour.

   • 2021 December 1, Christian Wolmar, “A cloud over HS2... but a silver lining for other services?”, in RAIL, number 945, page 53:

     I realise that some readers would enjoy using my head at a coconut shy.