potboiler
UK/'pɒtbɒilә/US
GREC2
Definitions
n.
A book, film, or other work of poor quality produced quickly just to make money.
（为赚钱而）粗制滥造的作品
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedpot + boiler = 'something that keeps the pot boiling,' i.e. keeps food cooking. A potboiler is a cheap, formulaic work an artist dashes off purely to earn a living — to keep the pot on the fire.
Root pot still carries 7 more wordsWhy It Means This
The image is survival cooking. To 'keep the pot boiling' is an old phrase for earning just enough to eat. A potboiler is therefore work created not for art but to keep the pot on the fire — which is why it carries a sneer of low, money-driven quality.
Common Collocations
- 1.cheap potboiler低劣的烂作
- 2.churn out a potboiler赶制粗俗作品
- 3.formulaic potboiler套路化的滥作
- 4.Hollywood potboiler好莱坞商业烂片
Example Sentences
- 1.
Critics dismissed his latest novel as a forgettable potboiler.
- 2.
She wrote potboilers to pay the rent while working on her real book.