the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
n. The manners of a clown; coarseness or rudeness of behavior.
The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
n. The state or quality of being clownish; rusticity; coarseness or rudeness of behavior or language; incivility; awkwardness.
Word Usage
"This is going to be a test for Sen. Obama; if he can get through this kind of clownishness without losing it, he will have earned whatever prize is at the end of the trail."