Significado
A controversial or difficult subject that no one wants to deal with.
Contexto cultural
In American politics, 'hot potato' is a staple of Sunday morning talk shows. It often implies that a politician is being 'cowardly' by not taking a firm stand on a divisive issue. The British use 'hot potato' similarly, but it is often linked to the concept of 'passing the buck,' which has historical roots in poker games. In many corporate environments, a 'hot potato' is a project that is destined to fail. Middle managers often try to 'pass the potato' to avoid having the failure on their annual review. The phrase is very well known in Australia, partly due to the popular children's group 'The Wiggles,' who have a famous song called 'Hot Potato.' While the song is literal, it reinforces the phrase in the cultural consciousness from a very young age.
Use with 'Drop'
The most natural way to use this idiom is with the verb 'drop.' It sounds very native to say 'He dropped the idea like a hot potato.'
Not for People
Be careful calling a *person* a hot potato. It usually means they are controversial or troublesome, which can be quite rude.
Significado
A controversial or difficult subject that no one wants to deal with.
Use with 'Drop'
The most natural way to use this idiom is with the verb 'drop.' It sounds very native to say 'He dropped the idea like a hot potato.'
Not for People
Be careful calling a *person* a hot potato. It usually means they are controversial or troublesome, which can be quite rude.
Political Context
If you are writing an essay about politics, using 'political hot potato' is a great way to show advanced vocabulary.
The Game
If you ever play the game 'Hot Potato,' remember that the idiom comes from the fear of being the one left holding it!
Teste-se
Complete the sentence with the correct idiom.
The manager didn't want to deal with the customer's complaint, so he passed the ___ to his assistant.
The idiom is 'hot potato,' referring to a difficult problem passed to someone else.
Which situation best describes a 'hot potato'?
Choose the best scenario:
A hot potato involves a controversial topic that people want to avoid.
What would Speaker B most likely say?
Speaker A: 'Who is going to tell the boss that we lost the big contract?' Speaker B: 'Not me! That's a ___.'
Losing a big contract is a controversial and difficult topic, making it a hot potato.
Match the idiom variation to its meaning.
Match 'Drop like a hot potato' to its definition.
To 'drop like a hot potato' means to get rid of something/someone the moment they become a problem.
🎉 Pontuação: /4
Recursos visuais
Hot Potato vs. Tough Nut to Crack
Banco de exercicios
4 exerciciosThe manager didn't want to deal with the customer's complaint, so he passed the ___ to his assistant.
The idiom is 'hot potato,' referring to a difficult problem passed to someone else.
Choose the best scenario:
A hot potato involves a controversial topic that people want to avoid.
Speaker A: 'Who is going to tell the boss that we lost the big contract?' Speaker B: 'Not me! That's a ___.'
Losing a big contract is a controversial and difficult topic, making it a hot potato.
Match 'Drop like a hot potato' to its definition.
To 'drop like a hot potato' means to get rid of something/someone the moment they become a problem.
🎉 Pontuação: /4
Perguntas frequentes
10 perguntasPotatoes were common, cheap, and held heat for a long time after being cooked in a fire, making them the perfect 'dangerous' object for the original game.
Yes, it is widely used in business journalism (like The Economist or Wall Street Journal) to describe controversial issues.
No, 'cold potato' is not an idiom. For an easy problem, use 'a piece of cake' or 'a breeze.'
It means to abandon something or someone immediately and completely because they have become a source of trouble or embarrassment.
Use a hyphen when it's an adjective before a noun (a hot-potato issue). No hyphen when it's a noun (The issue is a hot potato).
Yes, if the secret is so dangerous that telling it would cause trouble for you, it's a hot potato.
Yes, it is equally common in British and American English.
Not usually, but it does imply that people are avoiding their responsibilities, so use it carefully if you are talking to your boss!
There isn't a direct opposite idiom, but you might call a popular, easy-to-handle topic a 'safe bet' or a 'crowd-pleaser.'
Yes, if a person is very controversial and no one wants to hire them or be seen with them, they are a hot potato.
Frases relacionadas
pass the buck
similarTo shift responsibility for something to someone else.
poisoned chalice
similarAn assignment that seems attractive but is actually very harmful.
touchy subject
similarA topic that makes people easily upset or offended.
drop like a stone
contrastTo fall very quickly.
elephant in the room
similarA major problem that everyone is ignoring.
