Shellie May is under the big top (unless she is not)

"What does "under the big top" mean?" asked Shellie May.

"It is a circus term," I said. "The big top is the big tent."

"But I thought this tent was not very big," said Shellie May. "There are Christmas lights and a cotton swab up there. I thought we got shrunk to be very tiny and now we are under a small top."

"Hm. Could be."