Wiktionary
vb. (present participle of gate crash English)
Wikipedia
Gate crashing, gatecrashing or party crashing is the act of attending an invitation-only event when not invited. The person doing the gate crashing is known as a gate crasher.
Reasons for gate crashing include but are not limited to:
- Avoiding entry fees
- Gaining access to free food and beverages (often alcoholic)
- Gaining access to a party that they wanted to be invited to but weren't
- Taking pictures of famous people (see paparazzi)
- Having pictures taken with famous people
And more serious crimes like:
- Stalking
- Kidnapping
- Murder
- Theft
- Fraud, and
- Causing general disruptions.
Various techniques that involve blending in with the crowd can be used to gain access to some events. Various measures can be taken to prevent gate crashers from gaining access such as collecting invitations at the door and employing staff to identify potential uninvited guests, but such measures can still be thwarted by a skilled gate crasher.
The first "how to" gate-crashing book, Meet the Stars, was written by Charlotte Laws in 1988. She went by the name Missy Laws at the time and details how she crashed dozens of celebrity-filled events, major award shows and even got past Secret Service to interview the President. Her story about Elvis was reprinted in Uncle John's Bathroom Reader.
Usage examples of "gate crashing".
Losing two 'eighty-sixers--even if one were a downtimer and the other a gate crashing con man and thief-would definitely not be good for their public image or their business.
There was silence in the house for a moment, then the sound of the garden gate crashing closed.
But the first sound was of the gate crashing open, followed by the screams of the dying.