Idiom
Flash in the pan
A flash in the pan is someone or something that has a sudden, short success that does not last.
How people use it
It often describes a new band, a hit product, a trend or an athlete with one great season: critics called the singer a flash in the pan, but she's still touring. It implies that early promise faded or will fade. People often use it in the negative to defend lasting success: the restaurant was no flash in the pan. The tone is informal to neutral and a little dismissive.
Examples
- Many people thought the dance craze was a flash in the pan, and they were right.
- The rookie's great first month turned out to be a flash in the pan.
- Ten years later, the bakery has proved it was no flash in the pan.
Where it comes from
It comes from old flintlock guns. A small amount of gunpowder sat in a pan; the flint's spark lit it, and that flash was supposed to fire the main charge in the barrel. Sometimes the powder flashed in the pan but the gun did not fire. The figurative sense, a big start with no result, is recorded from the early 1700s. A popular story ties it to gold panning, but the gun explanation is much better supported.
Check yourself
1. What is a flash in the pan?
Answer: A short-lived success. The idiom describes success that appears suddenly and soon fades.
2. Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Answer: The diet trend was a flash in the pan and vanished within a year.. A long career is lasting success, so only the trend that quickly vanished fits.
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