flash in the pan
English
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flash in the pan
Where it comes from
From the days of flintlock firearms, where the main charge was intended to be fired by a small charge of gunpowder in the flash pan. If the resultant fire did not pass through the touch hole and ignite the main charge, it produced noise and smoke, but no substantial effect, and was termed a flash in the pan. Sometimes called fluff in the pan, the term refers to any ineffectual, short, spasmodic effort that dies in the attempt, such as an explosion of priming in the lockpan of a gun while the gun itself does not go off.
noun flashes in the pan · flash in the pans
- A transient occurrence with no long-term impact. The concept turned out to be merely a flash in the pan and is no longer used.
- A career notable for early success that is not followed by any significant accomplishment. He was named Best New Director of 1940, but his career was a flash in the pan.
Translations
Every language
noun transient occurrence with no long-term effect
| Español | llamarada de petate, flor de un día |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 曇花一現 /昙花一现 tánhuāyīxiàn |
| Português | fogo de palha |
| Français | feu de paille |
| Deutsch | Strohfeuer, Eintagsfliege |
| Italiano | fuoco di paglia |
| Русский | мимолетный успех mimoletnyj uspex, однодневка odnodnevka |
Talk about this word "flash in the pan." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/flash%20in%20the%20pan. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. flash in the pan. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/flash%20in%20the%20pan "flash in the pan." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/flash%20in%20the%20pan.Cite this
@misc{flash_in_the_pan_2026,
title = {flash in the pan},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/flash%20in%20the%20pan},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
