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flavor of the week

flavor of the week

2 4.4
Something or someone that is popular for a short time, like a new food taste
  • noun
  • /ˈfleɪvər əv ðə wiːk/
  • Informal
translation icon : moda del momento
  • Each was the flavor of the week and briefly twisted EZ's undies into a knot, but had no staying power.

Examples

  • Red Swiss chard is my current flavor of the week; it's very versatile, and you meet hot chicks at the grocery store in that section, not in the chips section or Funyuns section.

    Blog text (24)
  • Must be his flavor of the week.

  • A week ago, the flavor of the week was "gang of 6?"

    Blog text (11)
  • She's only the flavor of the week.

    Blog text (28)
  • Rick Santorum was not a flavor of the week.

    Blog text (18)
  • They were good, don't get me wrong, but they have a lot of work ahead of them if they want to not be a flavor of the week and sustain themselves for years to come.

    Blog text (20)
  • Many celebrities are often seen as the flavor of the week in the media.

  • The new dessert special is just a flavor of the week meant to boost sales.

  • Her bright personality made her the flavor of the week among her peers.

Synonyms

fad
vsflavor of the week
53 3.5

A popular style or activity for a short time

also refers to a short-lived popular thing or a limited-time food offering
special
vsflavor of the week
53 1.7

A dish offered on the menu for a short time

is wider used for any briefly fashionable person or limited-time offering
soup du jour
vsflavor of the week
1 6.2

A soup offered as the day's special in a restaurant

is broader applying to short-lived popularity and limited food flavors
new hotness
vsflavor of the week
  • Slang
1 8.5

A thing that many people like and find exciting right now

can mean a brief popular item or a limited-period menu flavor

Antonyms

has-been
  • Offensive
87 6.8

A person who was famous or successful but no longer is

78 5.0

No longer useful or fashionable because it is old

How Popular

craze
35 4.2
fad
53 3.5
flavor of the week
  • Informal
2 4.4
trend
667 2.3
niche
107 5.5

Surface Forms

Morphology

flavor + of + the + week

The literal meaning ('a flavor offered for a limited period') is directly derivable from 'flavor' + 'of the week' because 'of the week' clearly marks current/temporary selection. The figurative meaning ('someone or something briefly fashionable') is a plausible metaphorical extension of the literal sense (temporary choice/novelty) but requires some cultural/idiomatic knowledge to map 'flavor' onto people or trends, so it is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Flavor of the week comes from shops and cafés that offer a special flavor for each week to draw customers. Because the taste changes quickly, the phrase now means 'something popular for a short time'.