flavor of the month: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Informal, often journalistic or business.
Quick answer
What does “flavor of the month” mean?
A person, thing, or idea that is currently popular or fashionable but likely to be temporary.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A person, thing, or idea that is currently popular or fashionable but likely to be temporary.
Something that enjoys a brief period of intense popularity, attention, or favor, often in business, media, or cultural contexts, implying it will soon be replaced by the next trend.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The British spelling is 'flavour of the month'. The term originated in American marketing (ice cream parlors) and is slightly more common in US usage, but is fully understood and used in the UK.
Connotations
Identical in both varieties: implies temporary popularity.
Frequency
More frequent in American English, but common in British English, especially in business/media commentary.
Grammar
How to Use “flavor of the month” in a Sentence
[Subject] is/becomes the flavor of the month.[Subject] is the latest flavor of the month in [field/context].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “flavor of the month” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The strategy was flavour-of-the-monthed by management before being quietly dropped.
- They tend to flavour-of-the-month every new consultant.
American English
- The CEO flavor-of-the-monthed the new initiative, then lost interest.
- Don't just flavor-of-the-month this policy; we need a long-term plan.
adverb
British English
- The idea was adopted flavour-of-the-monthly, without proper research.
American English
- Policies are being changed flavor-of-the-monthly, confusing everyone.
adjective
British English
- He's a flavour-of-the-month pundit on all the news shows.
- They launched another flavour-of-the-month diet book.
American English
- It's just another flavor-of-the-month startup without a real business model.
- She dismissed the theory as flavor-of-the-month academic nonsense.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used critically to describe a short-lived management strategy, product, or investment trend. 'This new analytics platform is the flavor of the month with the board, but I doubt we'll still be using it next year.'
Academic
Rare in formal writing; may appear in sociological or cultural studies discussing trends, fads, and consumerism.
Everyday
Used to describe fleeting trends in music, fashion, diet, or celebrities. 'That new social media app is the flavor of the month with teenagers.'
Technical
Not used in technical contexts (e.g., engineering, medicine).
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “flavor of the month”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “flavor of the month”
- Using it to describe something genuinely long-lasting or positive. Incorrect: 'Shakespeare is the flavor of the month in literary studies.' (Shakespeare is a permanent fixture). Incorrect: 'She's the flavor of the month' to mean 'Employee of the Month' (confuses the idiom with a formal award).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Rarely. Its core meaning is neutral (describing current popularity), but its strong connotation is negative, implying a lack of depth and permanence. Using it positively requires clear context to override the default skepticism.
It can describe people, especially celebrities, politicians, or experts who are suddenly in high demand. E.g., 'After her viral TED talk, she became the flavor of the month on the lecture circuit.'
'Trendy' simply means fashionable. 'Flavor of the month' adds a critical layer, emphasizing the temporary, faddish nature of that trend and predicting its imminent replacement.
Yes, informally it can be used as a verb ('to flavor-of-the-month'), adjective ('a flavor-of-the-month theory'), or adverb. These are creative, metaphorical extensions of the core noun phrase and are more common in spoken or journalistic language.
A person, thing, or idea that is currently popular or fashionable but likely to be temporary.
Flavor of the month is usually informal, often journalistic or business. in register.
Flavor of the month: in British English it is pronounced /ˈfleɪ.vər əv ðə mʌnθ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈfleɪ.vɚ əv ðə mʌnθ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “here today, gone tomorrow”
- “the next big thing”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine an ice cream shop where a special flavor is promoted for only one month. Everyone rushes to try it, but next month, a new flavor takes its place. The phrase captures that exact feeling of temporary hype.
Conceptual Metaphor
POPULARITY/ATTENTION IS A CONSUMABLE PRODUCT (with a short shelf life).
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary implication of calling something 'the flavor of the month'?