pot boiler

noun

Etymology

The figurative sense comes from the notion that the writer's or artist's output is enough to provide sustenance; compare breadwinner, put food on the table, and keep the lights on.

Definitions

  1. A creative work of low quality (book, art, etc.), produced merely to earn a living or for…

    A creative work of low quality (book, art, etc.), produced merely to earn a living or for profit, as opposed to serious creative expression.

    • Arists and novelists of a certain stamp joke about ‘pot-boilers’, the name facetiously given to hasty, worthless pictures and books[…]
    • No man is a success in business unless he loves his work. The picture the artist paints for love is his greatest work. The pot-boiler is always something to live down.
  2. A stone used to transfer heat from a fire into a vessel of water, so as to heat the…

    A stone used to transfer heat from a fire into a vessel of water, so as to heat the contents.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for pot boiler. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA