nine days' wonder

plural nine days' wonders

1. alternativeAlternative form of nine day wonder.

   As the matter is to be a "nine days' wonder," they are evidently determined that there shall be no cause of after complaint.

   1897, Bram Stoker, “Cutting from ‘The Dailygraph,’ 8 August (Pasted in Mina Murray’s Journal.) From a Correspondent.”, in Dracula, New York, N.Y.: Modern Library, →OCLC, chapter VII, page 89

   3 more examples

   The pleasant scandal which arose next day, / The nine days' wonder which was brought to light, / And how Alfonso sued for a divorce, / Were in the English newspapers, of course.

   1819 July 15, [Lord Byron], Don Juan, London: […] Thomas Davison, […], →OCLC, canto I, stanza CLXXXVIII, page 97

   Everybody else was thinking of his breakdown; some with real sorrow and sympathy; others as of any other nine-days' wonder,—pretty much as if the favorite for the Derby had broken down; others with ill-concealed triumph, for Blake had many enemies amongst the men.

   1859–1861, [Thomas Hughes], “The Schools”, in Tom Brown at Oxford: […], part 2nd, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, published 1861, →OCLC, page 6

   In his letter to this journal Mr. Lawrence remarked that some traders were waiting to see if "Condor" was merely a nine days' wonder before scheduling its use by their goods.

   1960 January, G. Freeman Allen, “‘Condor’—British Railways’ Fastest Freight Train”, in Trains Illustrated, London: Ian Allan Publishing, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 47