0
Howardfu Posted 19 years ago
Vocabulary

sliced bread?

0 In this week's Time, there is an article talking about the fund rasing in US's 2008 campaign: "How Big Money Picks a Winner."02br
00There is an idiom in the article that I can't really understand. Here is the quote:02br
02br
00"01font00If I walked into Dodd's office with $250,000, I've hung the moon. For Barack? I'm 01b00the greatest thing since sliced bread02b00. Hillary's office? Get in line.02font00"02br
00The words in bold are where I'm lost. Could anyone explain this to me? Thanks! 0-
  

Top answer

0Hi,02br 02br 01font 00I'm 01b 00the greatest thing since sliced bread02b 00. 02font 02br 02br 01font 00Bread used to be sold unsliced. Then someone thought of selling it sliced.

— Clive

  • 0Hi,02br 02br 01font 00I'm 01b 00the greatest thing since sliced bread02b 00.
  • 02font 02br 02br 01font 00Bread used to be sold unsliced.
  • Then someone thought of selling it sliced.
  • That was considered to be, jokingly, one of the greatest and most original ideas ever.
  • Any other very good/original idea/thing is thus said to be 'the greatest idea/thing since (the idea of) sliced bread.
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

4 Answers
0
0Hi,02br
02br
01font00I'm 01b00the greatest thing since sliced bread02b00. 02font02br
02br
01font00Here's the idea.02font02br
02br
01font00Bread used to be sold unsliced. Then someone thought of selling it sliced. T
0
0
0 From a dictionary:02br
02br
00"'Best (or greatest) thing since sliced bread' (informal) is used to emphasize one's enthusiasm about a new idea, person, or thing." 0-
0
0
0In case you are having trouble interpretting the entire paragraph, "Hillary" has so many people offering her money for her presidential campaign that $250,000 is nothing special. You "get in line" behind all the other people who want to give her money. But "Barak" does not have that many people giving him money yet, so you would be wonderful! (I've never heard the phrase "hung the moon" before,
0
0
0 01b01font00But now, of course, we have bread machines (the bread from which is difficult to slice) and a plethora of wonderful hearty, good-for-you breads that are fun just to tear off, swipe with butter and enjoy.02font02b00 0-
0

Related Questions