hot potato
7
5.6
- idiom
- /hɑt pəˈteɪtoʊ/
- Informal
:
tema delicado
- At a time when federal arts funding had become a hot potato and a lightning rod, Jane chose to address the controversy head on.
- a political hot potato
At a time when federal arts funding had become a hot potato and a lightning rod, Jane chose to address the controversy head on.
- At a time when federal arts funding had become a hot potato and a lightning rod, Jane chose to address the controversy head on.
- And so if someone asks you questions, it's like hot potato.
Examples
-
The issue is a political hot potato, said Bahcall.
Academic text (2003) -
The issue of climate change has become a political hot potato that many leaders are reluctant to tackle.
-
- Bit of a political hot potato, then?
-
But no one wants to touch them because it's always easier to pass the hot potato to the next generation.
Blog text (2) -
I'll take this hot potato off your hands.
-
I may not know, or perhaps it is just a political hot potato that's too hot to handle.
Blog text (28) -
Juggling this political hot potato, Black told Zeidman that the investigation was incomplete and sent him back to reinvestigate.
Academic text (2010) -
Somewhere in the middle lies Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). CFS is something of a hot potato and polarizes opinion markedly.
Academic text (2012) -
The debate over healthcare reform is a hot potato that could influence the upcoming elections.
-
No one wants to take responsibility for the budget shortfall; it's a financial hot potato everyone is trying to avoid.
Synonyms
23
4.5
An obvious problem that people avoid talking about
21
6.4
An issue in talks that causes disagreement and stops progress
14
4.7
An issue that makes people feel very strongly and leads to angry debate
10
5.1
A topic that causes strong disagreement between people
5
5.5
A subject that makes people feel hurt or upset when mentioned
4
5.2
A subject that causes disagreement between people
1
3.4
A subject people often argue about
A topic people avoid talking about because it is taboo or painful
A topic that causes strong arguments and trouble
Antonyms
How Controversial
14
4.7
- Informal
7
5.6
10
5.1
27
3.0
- Informal
5
5.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
hot + potato
The literal meanings of 'hot' and 'potato' (a temperature property and a tuber) do not cue the sense 'a difficult or controversial issue to be passed on'; the metaphorical transfer from a physically hot object to a socially 'untouchable' issue is idiomatic and not predictable from the parts. This figurative sense is language-specific and would generally be unfamiliar to a B1 learner who has not previously encountered the expression.
Etymology
The phrase hot potato may come from a children's game where a hot potato was passed quickly from hand to hand because no one wanted to hold it. So, when people call an issue a hot potato, they mean everyone is trying to 'pass on' that difficult or awkward topic and 'avoid dealing' with it.