Meanings
present singular third person sells like hot cakes · participle present selling like hot cakes · participle past sold like hot cakes · past sold like hot cakes
- idiomaticintransitiveTo be sold quickly in large numbers or amounts.First known use 1839
During a power outage, candles sell like hot cakes.
5 more examples
You're living in a disco / Forget about the rat race / Let's do the Milkshake / Selling like a hotcake
1979, Robin Scott, “Pop Muzik”Geffen employees confirm that about half of the initial run of forty-six thousand [copies of Nevermind] went to the Northwest, where it sold like hot cakes.
2003, Jim Berkenstadt, Charles R. Cross, Nevermind: NirvanaThese units will sell like hot cakes for $400000 apiece. Our cost will be $250000. It's a regular gold mine.
2005, G. Timothy Haight, Daniel Singer, The real estate investment handbookCALENDARS featuring local men willing to get their kit off for charity are selling like hot cakes after hitting the market this week.
2009 November 27, “Calendar boys get their tops off”, in John o'Groat JournalI sold 12 trout specials yesterday, they sold like hot cakes.
2012, Cosmo Knight, The Day After the Great Trout Run
Origin
After the proverbial popularity of pancakes in 19th-century America.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 暢銷 /畅销, 熱銷 /热销
- 暢銷 /畅销 (chàngxiāo)sell quickly
- 熱銷 /热销 (rèxiāo)sell quickly
- 大賣 /大卖 (dàmài)sell quickly
Czech jít na dračku
- jít na dračkusell quickly
Dutch verkopen als zoete broodjes
- verkopen als zoete broodjessell quickly
Finnish mennä kuin kuumille kiville, mennä kaupaksi
- mennä kuin kuumille kivillesell quickly
- mennä kaupaksisell quickly
- tehdä kauppansasell quickly
- käydä kaupaksisell quickly
French se vendre comme des petits pains
- se vendre comme des petits painssell quickly
German weggehen wie warme Semmeln
- weggehen wie warme Semmelnsell quickly
Hungarian viszik, mint a cukrot, veszik, mint a cukrot
- viszik, mint a cukrotsell quickly
- veszik, mint a cukrotsell quickly
- elkapkodjáksell quickly
Icelandic fljúga út, seljast eins og heitar lummur
- fljúga útsell quickly
- seljast eins og heitar lummursell quickly
- renna útsell quickly
Italian andare a ruba
- andare a rubasell quickly
Japanese 飛ぶように売れる
- 飛ぶように売れる (tobu yō ni ureru)sell quickly
Korean 불티나게 팔리다
- 불티나게 팔리다 (bulti-nage pallida)sell quickly
Norwegian selge som varmt hvetebrød, selge som hakka møkk
- selge som varmt hvetebrødsell quickly
- selge som hakka møkksell quickly
Polish sprzedawać się jak świeże bułeczki, sprzedać się jak świeże bułeczki
- sprzedawać się jak świeże bułeczkisell quickly
- sprzedać się jak świeże bułeczkisell quickly
Portuguese vender que nem pãezinhos quentes
- vender que nem pãezinhos quentessell quickly
Romanian a se vinde ca pâinea caldă
- a se vinde ca pâinea caldăsell quickly
Spanish vender como churros, vender como rosquillas
- vender como churrossell quickly
- vender como rosquillassell quickly
Swedish sälja som smör, sälja som smör i solsken
- sälja som smörsell quickly
- sälja som smör i solskensell quickly
Thai เทน้ำเทท่า, ขายดิบขายดี
- เทน้ำเทท่า (tee-náam-tee-tâa)sell quickly
- ขายดิบขายดี (kǎai-dìp-kǎai-dii)sell quickly
Turkish peynir ekmek gibi satılmak
- peynir ekmek gibi satılmaksell quickly
Vietnamese bán chạy như tôm tươi
- bán chạy như tôm tươisell quickly
Cite this entry
sell like hot cakes. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sell%20like%20hot%20cakes
“sell like hot cakes.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sell%20like%20hot%20cakes. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sell like hot cakes,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sell%20like%20hot%20cakes.
Source: sell like hot cakes on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.