“A hot potato”
What it really means, explained simply for children who take language literally.
What the words say
A steaming potato too hot to hold.
What it really means
A tricky problem nobody wants to deal with.
Example
Whose turn it is to clean up became a hot potato.
Sayings like this one do not mean what the words say. For a child who reads language literally, common with hyperlexia and autism, that hidden second meaning can be confusing or even worrying. Our free Idiom Explainer shows the literal picture and the real meaning side by side, so the next saying meets curiosity instead of worry. It runs in your browser, nothing is sent anywhere.
More sayings to explore
“Piece of cake”
Something very easy to do.
“Spill the beans”
Tell a secret.
“As cool as a cucumber”
Very calm and not worried at all.
“The apple of my eye”
Someone you love very much.
“A couch potato”
Someone who sits around a lot and is lazy.
“Two peas in a pod”
Two people who are very alike or always together.