| 词汇 | hot potato |
| 释义 | hot potato Theme: DIFFICULTIES n. a difficult problem.I sure don't want to have to deal with that hot potato.This one is a hot potato. Ignore it for a while. Idiom hot potato informal something that is difficult or dangerous to deal with.The abortion issue is a political hot potato in the United States. hot potato 1. noun a waiter, especially an efficient one. Cockney rhyming slang, pronounced 'pertatah' ('waitah') UK, 1960 2. verb to prioritise or juggle priorities NEW ZEALAND, 2001 hot potatoA sensitive situation or controversial issue that is difficult to handle and thus gets passed from one person to the next (like a potato that is too hot to hold). The political candidate knew the issue was a hot potato, so he deferred to his chief of staff, who directed questions to the committee chairperson. hot potatoA problem so controversial and sensitive that it is risky to deal with. For example, Gun control is a political hot potato. This term, dating from the mid-1800s, alludes to the only slightly older expression drop like a hot potato, meaning "to abandon something or someone quickly" (lest one be burned). The idiom alludes to the fact that cooked potatoes retain considerable heat because they contain a lot of water. a hot potatoCOMMON If a subject or problem is a hot potato, it is very difficult to deal with, especially because it is something that people argue about a lot. When she is faced with a political hot potato such tightening the gun laws, she is not afraid to give her opinion. Pricing policy is another hot potato. a hot poˈtato(informal) a very sensitive matter that is difficult or embarrassing to deal with: His resignation is a political hot potato.hot potato n. a difficult problem. I sure don’t want to have to deal with that hot potato. |
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