Hotcakes
A few weeks ago, I posted my concern that we, as a people, had been unable to update the phrase “It’s the greatest thing since sliced bread” considering there have been at least 8 or 9 things invented since sliced bread that really are better. I’m enduring the ridicule that comes from being a trailblazer (not the NBA team, that’s a whole different kind of ridicule), in the field of modern language while saying things like “That’s the greatest thing since Tivo”. But I will stay strong until others join me and we finally get over our awe of pre-sliced bread.
And now, I’m moving on to the next step in this Country’s desperate need to update and just generally improve our way of speaking. Today’s topic, “they’re selling like hotcakes.” Really? Hotcakes? What is a hotcake exactly? I only ask because everyone I know refers to what I believe are hotcakes as pancakes. I have never, and I do mean never heard anyone order hotcakes in a restaurant or anywhere else for that matter. Is this a regional thing? Do people in the South or NE say “hotcakes?” Does the Waffle House have “hotcakes” on the menu? Even if they do, it doesn’t change anything. This expression must stop….now.
There are 2 fundamental problems here. First, no one uses the word hotcakes. You might as well say, “these things are selling like motorcoaches.” Just doesn’t make sense to cling to this outdated word.
Second, are pancakes (assuming that this is the modern equivalent to hotcakes), really that big a seller? I mean, I like pancakes ok. My kids love them and I think lots of people eat them, but I’ve never been some place that ran out. I’ve never had the sense that Denny’s just couldn’t make enough to keep up with the demand. I mean, just limiting the discussion to breakfast food, I would think that more eggs get ordered than pancakes, so I’m not sure it can even compete in this limited category.
Third, and this is a smaller point, but since when do we describe prepared food as being “sold?” I guess it is technically accurate, but I don’t think many people sit down and ask “what kind of sandwiches do you sell here?” Or, “Red Lobster sure sells a mean plate of shrimp.” So, to say things are “selling” like hotcakes really calls to mind sort of a goofy picture. I mean if you are “buying” pancakes you only get them in a restaurant. If you are making them, you buy a mix, or the ingredients. So, no one buys and sells pancakes, they order and serve them. You don’t run down to 7-11 to pick up a 12 pack of pancakes. At least, you shouldn’t.
So all that begs the question, if we are going to have an expression that communicates that something is selling really well, what is an alternative to this silly deference to a marginal breakfast food item? I did a little research, which is contrary to this blog’s preference of simply making up research, but nevertheless, I examined some “best selling” items in different categories and came up with these alternatives. Please feel free to suggest your own.
“Man, those ______ were selling like:”
1. Smoked salmon (lots of sites list some smoked salmon offering as their top seller, including Amazon and NFL.com)
2. paternity tests at the Anna Nicole Smith public will reading (sorry, just too easy)
3. the Nike Sumo driver (people were lined up around the block in Portland)
4. white flags in Paris during a war (I know, I know, again too easy)
5. Krispy Kremes (ever tried to go to one that just opened?)
6. copies of Josh Stump’s “Food Rules” book (for future use)
7. U2 Tickets
8. Gortex in Oregon
9. secrets in Hollywood (or Washington)
10. peroxide in LA
Those were the first to come to mind. What do you think?
And now, I’m moving on to the next step in this Country’s desperate need to update and just generally improve our way of speaking. Today’s topic, “they’re selling like hotcakes.” Really? Hotcakes? What is a hotcake exactly? I only ask because everyone I know refers to what I believe are hotcakes as pancakes. I have never, and I do mean never heard anyone order hotcakes in a restaurant or anywhere else for that matter. Is this a regional thing? Do people in the South or NE say “hotcakes?” Does the Waffle House have “hotcakes” on the menu? Even if they do, it doesn’t change anything. This expression must stop….now.
There are 2 fundamental problems here. First, no one uses the word hotcakes. You might as well say, “these things are selling like motorcoaches.” Just doesn’t make sense to cling to this outdated word.
Second, are pancakes (assuming that this is the modern equivalent to hotcakes), really that big a seller? I mean, I like pancakes ok. My kids love them and I think lots of people eat them, but I’ve never been some place that ran out. I’ve never had the sense that Denny’s just couldn’t make enough to keep up with the demand. I mean, just limiting the discussion to breakfast food, I would think that more eggs get ordered than pancakes, so I’m not sure it can even compete in this limited category.
Third, and this is a smaller point, but since when do we describe prepared food as being “sold?” I guess it is technically accurate, but I don’t think many people sit down and ask “what kind of sandwiches do you sell here?” Or, “Red Lobster sure sells a mean plate of shrimp.” So, to say things are “selling” like hotcakes really calls to mind sort of a goofy picture. I mean if you are “buying” pancakes you only get them in a restaurant. If you are making them, you buy a mix, or the ingredients. So, no one buys and sells pancakes, they order and serve them. You don’t run down to 7-11 to pick up a 12 pack of pancakes. At least, you shouldn’t.
So all that begs the question, if we are going to have an expression that communicates that something is selling really well, what is an alternative to this silly deference to a marginal breakfast food item? I did a little research, which is contrary to this blog’s preference of simply making up research, but nevertheless, I examined some “best selling” items in different categories and came up with these alternatives. Please feel free to suggest your own.
“Man, those ______ were selling like:”
1. Smoked salmon (lots of sites list some smoked salmon offering as their top seller, including Amazon and NFL.com)
2. paternity tests at the Anna Nicole Smith public will reading (sorry, just too easy)
3. the Nike Sumo driver (people were lined up around the block in Portland)
4. white flags in Paris during a war (I know, I know, again too easy)
5. Krispy Kremes (ever tried to go to one that just opened?)
6. copies of Josh Stump’s “Food Rules” book (for future use)
7. U2 Tickets
8. Gortex in Oregon
9. secrets in Hollywood (or Washington)
10. peroxide in LA
Those were the first to come to mind. What do you think?
Comments
...selling like Blogger.com screwing up.
I'm not too creative this afternoon, but this is, indeed, a most serious grammatical correction that is much needed in this country. I'm glad you've at least attempted to start the ball rolling.
Stoogelover (for some reason, Blogger never displays my SL ID any longer, though I've NEVER used Greg as an blogger display name.)
I agree with you, Stoogelover, about blogger. Seems to me people are switching to other providers faster than you can say "New Blogger." Josh, maybe that phrase ("faster than you can say") can be your next post.
...selling like peeps at easter.
...selling like black clothing in NY.
...selling like SUV's to suburbia.
...selling like aquanet in the eighties.
sean suggests:
...selling like hummers to yuppies.
...selling like meth in the midwest.
"Easy as Pie" That's a great one. I'm beginning to think this could be a life long process updating or making sense of every day expressions.
Was there a time when making pie was easy? I mean isn't this an old expression which predates things like pre-made crusts and pre-canned filling? i don't think making pie is easy now, but why did people think it was easy before that stuff? Was it just relative to something else? Is it sarcastic like "you'd complain if I hung you with a new rope"? I don't get it.
And would about "beating a dead horse?" That may be what I'm doing here, but what does that mean? Where does that come from? Did we used to beat horses together in a manner where it wasn't obvious they had died? Wierd.
Sean, I'm sure I don't have any idea what you mean.
In doing a little research on the phrase i found out the following:
Hot cakes cooked in bear grease or pork lard were popular from earliest times in America. First made of cornmeal, the griddle cakes or pancakes were of course best when served piping hot and were often sold at church benefits, fairs, and other functions. So popular were they that by the beginning of the 19th century 'to sell like hot cakes' was a familiar expression for anything that sold very quickly effortlessly, and in quantity." From "Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins
The best comparison on the list might be Krispy Kreme as their product of grease, sugar and flour has clearly made it's way into the American identity in a way similar to the hotcake.
Having said that I'm not ready to dismiss the hotcakes phrase in lieu of Krispy Kreme as I don’t believe it has earned it. "The Kreme" has been a public company since April of 2000, and it's stock has taken a plunge ever since. It is an item too close in similarity to displace the hotcakes place in American History.
Every breakfast menu in America would be ridiculously wanting if Pancakes or hotcakes were absent. No one person ever orders just one and I've never met a person who doesn't like a good pancake.
Further, I like phrases that are traced back from the early days of our nations history. It appeals to me. The notion of people lining up for pancakes in a day long past is what this country is all about.
Either way, I like Josh's blog. It too, pleases me. My response to this post aside.
The Sliced Bread thing... Totally agree with... As far as I can tell it was based on an ad campaign for Wonder Bread in the late 20's. Ridiculous....
Plus, no matter how much we like them, we never call them hotcakes and we never describe them as being bought or sold.