hot potato
a hot potato
Meaning
- any subject which several folks are talking about and which is frequently argued
- something that is hard or terrible to handle
- a problem or situation that is difficult to deal with and causes a lot of disagreement
- an issue or question about which people have different opinions and feel very strongly
- a controversial situation that is awkward to deal with
- a delicate or contentious matter which many people do not want to talk about
Example Sentences
- The issue of gun control is a political hot potato in the United States.
- The legality of abortion is a hot potato in many countries around the world.
- I never discuss about anyone’s religion, it can be a hot potato.
- The party members are not speaking on this topic as it is a political hot potato.
- The government’s decision to curb benefits to some sections of society is like a hot potato.
Origin
The term originated in the mid 1800s and is derived from the slightly older term “to drop like a hot potato”, meaning “to abandon something or someone quickly”. It alludes to the fact that cooked potatoes retain considerable heat because they contain a lot of water.
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12 Comments
It did not tell me where it originated but it was helpful in other ways
Thanks
Awesome idioms for my project.
Excellent idioms and meaningful they completed my project
This was helpful for my project.
Thank your for your help.
Hello,
You did a great job, which is really helpful for others.I hope you will not mind if tell you a new word. In your above examples, you wrote discuss about, but we never use discuss about.
Discuss = Talk about
And
Discuss about = Talk about about
So we can simply say discuss or we can say talk about.
Hello Manal,
More formal ways of saying: It’s a hot potato, are:
Is there is any other idiom that is equal to the meaning of hot potato but formal?
This was very helpful for my project.
Hmm…. Ram Rahim topic is really like a hot potato in India.
Could I say ” no way, I won’t talk to the boss about the pay rise; are you trying to pass me the hot potato?
Grateful of you.
Hi this was really helpful.