flash in the pan

1. Someone or something that promises great success but soon fails: “The rock group that was all the rage last year turned out to be just another flash in the pan.”

Idioms and Phrases

An effort or person that promises great success but fails. For example, His second novel proved to be a flash in the pan , or We had high hopes for the new director, but she was a flash in the pan . This metaphoric term alludes to the 17th-century flintlock musket, which could be fired only when the flash of the priming powder in the lockpan ignited the charge in the bore. When it failed to ignite, there was only a flash in the pan and the gun did not shoot.

Example Sentences

But she assured me that RedState Women is not some flash-in-the-pan effort.

From The Daily Beast

The Huntsman campaign also leveled flash-in-the-pan candidate Herman Cain.

From The Daily Beast

Or a possible flash-in-the pan who two months from now will be just another NBA point guard?

From The Daily Beast

The libertarian septuagenarian outpaced Huntsman, Gingrich, and Iowa flash-in-the-pan Rick Santorum.

From The Daily Beast

Remember the flash-in-the-pan case of Texas Pastor Terry Jones who planned to burn Korans on the ninth anniversary of 9/11?

From The Daily Beast

"Flash-in-the-Pan" suddenly realises the enormous issues depending on him and faints in his trainer's arms.

From Project Gutenberg

It was a sudden smite,—one of those flash-in-the-pan, love-at-first-sight affairs.

From Project Gutenberg

I can deal with traitors, but these flash-in-the-pan plotters—these shaking, jelly-bodied patriots!

From Project Gutenberg