pot-boiler
Definition
Noun: A "pot-boiler" is a literary or artistic work of poor quality that is produced quickly solely to earn money, typically to cover basic living expenses.
Usage Examples
- (A low-quality book written for financial necessity.)
- (A movie made only for commercial gain.)
Advanced Usage
- "to be a pot-boiler": to describe a work created primarily for financial survival.
- Her early novels were pot-boilers, but her later works won literary awards. (Her early books were written for money, not art.)
Variants and Related Words
- Pot-boiling (adj/n): the act or practice of producing such works.
- He engaged in pot-boiling for years before his breakthrough. (He wrote commercially for money.)
Synonyms
- Hackwork: inferior, often commercial creative work.
- Commercial fiction: literature written primarily for profit.
- Cash cow: a product that generates steady income (though not necessarily low quality).
Related Idioms
- Write for bread: to produce work solely for financial survival.
- Many poets write for bread, not for glory. (They write to earn a living.)
Etymology Note
The term originates from the 19th century, metaphorically referring to a pot that "boils" on the stove to provide a meal — thus, a work that "keeps the pot boiling" (provides food).