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What does flash in the pan mean?
1 : a sudden spasmodic effort that accomplishes nothing. 2 : one that appears promising but turns out to be disappointing or worthless.
Where does the expression a flash in the pan come from?
The term ‘flash in the pan’ originated sometime during the late 17th century, when flintlock muskets were used. An attempt to fire a musket that resulted in gunpowder flaring up but no ball firing was referred to as a flash in the pan.
Which other is called flash in the pan?
“Perhaps this is just another flash in the pan but I think it is significant.”…What is another word for flash in the pan?
fleeting | momentary |
---|---|
volatile | flying |
rapid | rushed |
sudden | vaporous |
short-lived | short-term |
What does trendy flash pan mean?
Someone or something whose success or popularity is short-lived.
How do you use a flash in the pan in a sentence?
Example Sentences
- His initial good performances were a mere flash in the pan.
- The success of his second book turned out to be a flash in the pan.
- This new wave of entrepreneurship is not just a flash in the pan.
- He showed great promise during his first few games, but it turned out to be a flash in the pan.
What does the phrase in a flash mean?
informal. : very quickly or suddenly I’ll be back in a flash.
What is gain a foothold?
a situation in which someone has obtained the power or influence needed to get what is wanted: In buying their business, the company gains a major foothold in a market it considers critical to the future of the industry.
What does the idiom to see the light mean?
phrase. If someone sees the light, they finally realize something or change their attitude or way of behaving to a better one.
What means spasmodic?
1a : relating to or affected or characterized by spasm. b : resembling a spasm especially in sudden violence a spasmodic jerk. 2 : acting or proceeding fitfully : intermittent spasmodic activity. 3 : subject to outbursts of emotional excitement : excitable.
Is up in a flash an idiom?
Immediately; very quickly; at once. Just call us on this number if you have any problems, and we’ll be back in a flash. Don’t worry, boss, I’ll have this report typed up in a flash!
Is there a strong foothold?
Word forms: footholds A foothold is a strong or favorable position from which further advances or progress may be made. Businesses are investing millions of dollars to gain a foothold in this new market.
What does the idiom’flash in the pan’mean?
flash in the pan Someone or something whose success or popularity is short-lived. With only one hit song, it was obvious that the young pop star was going to be just another flash in the pan. Fig. someone or something that draws a lot of attention for a very brief time. I’m afraid that my success as a painter was just a flash in the pan.
Is the young pop star just another flash in the Pan?
With only one hit song, it was obvious that the young pop star was going to be just another flash in the pan. The new startup created a lot of buzz, but it ended up being just another flash in the pan, out of business after just two years. Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
Who was Alan Moore’s Flash in the Pan?
Downing has come in for considerable stick from the crowd and on the moan-ins and message boards in recent weeks, accused of being a Big Time Charlie, a flash in the pan Alan Moore figure who peaked too early and of lacking passion and commitment. “I felt that two-bagger was a flash in the pan ,” recounted Waddell.
Where did the phrase’panning out’come from?
‘Panning out’ can be traced to US prospectors and was used in that context by the early 20th century; for example, Paul Haworth’s Trailmakers of the Northwest, 1921: “The Colonel had told them that a cubic foot of gravel would pan out twenty dollars in gold.”.