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What does “sell like hot cakes” mean?

Meaning, example sentences and a quick practice question.

To sell very quickly, because it's very popular

“The new phone sold like hot cakes.”

Say it smoothly: “sell-like-hot-cakes”

From the B2 lesson What's Cooking? (food idioms).

To sell extremely fast and in large numbers

“The new phones are selling like hot cakes.”

From the C1 lesson What's Cooking? (food idioms).

Quick check

What does “sell like hot cakes” mean?

Teaching this phrase?“sell like hot cakes” is part of a ready-to-teach lesson, with a reading, three exercises, speaking tasks and an answer key, in Everyday English Chunks B2 Pack 3 (Money, Food, Work and Travel) and Everyday English Chunks C1 Pack 3 (Money, Food, Work and Travel).
See the B2 lesson pack See the C1 lesson pack

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