plastic crack
- noun
- /ˈplæstɪk kræk/
- Slang
- Many collectors joke that buying action figures is their plastic crack.
Examples
-
The convention was filled with vendors selling all kinds of plastic crack to eager hobbyists.
-
For fans of model kits, discovering a new brand can be like finding a new source of plastic crack.
-
He has a serious plastic crack addiction.
-
Many collectors say that plastic crack is hard to resist.
-
For many hobbyists, discovering a rare toy can feel like finding their own source of plastic crack.
-
Many collectors admit that their passion for buying vintage figures is their form of plastic crack.
-
The market was buzzing with fans searching for the latest releases of their favorite plastic crack.
How Obsessed
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun 'crack' is being used metaphorically to signal an addictive substance, so when combined with 'plastic' a learner can plausibly infer an addiction-related meaning (i.e., an obsession with plastic items). However this is slangal, context-specific wordplay and the precise referent (collecting figurines/models) is not directly predictable from the parts alone, so it is only partially transparent to a B1 learner.
Etymology
The slang plastic crack compares small plastic toys to the drug crack because buying them gives a strong, hard-to-stop rush. That's why it means 'an addictive passion for collecting plastic toys'.