Chinese eight-ball

Meaning

Noun

• A pocket billiards game for two players, combining the play of eight-ball (except by shooting object balls into the cue ball instead of the other way round) with the shooting style of carom billiards games.

Origin

• The game is of American origin, and probably takes its name from the fanciful notion that things might be done backwards on the other side of the world (compare Chinese fire drill).