Dictionary

greatest thing since sliced bread en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Etymology

Adapted from the advertising slogan used in 1928 by the Chillicothe Baking Company (the first company to sell sliced bread), which was as follows: The greatest forward step in the baking industry since bread was wrapped.

Meanings

1. (idiomatic) Something amazing, outstanding or praiseworthy, especially a relatively recent invention likely to improve people's lives.
   • It was the greatest thing since sliced bread when it first came out, and I remember selling a big project to a customer by demonstrating it. 2007, David S. Platt, Why Software Sucks: ...and What You Can Do About It, page 208:
   • This column is about the greatest thing since sliced bread. 1962 December 19, Jeanne Boardman, “Hints from Heloise”, in St. Joseph Missouri Gazette, page 5:
   • Because if he starts to write a check for the full amount and I say, “Take off $250”, or “I'll throw in door-guard trim and five steel radials for nothing”, Charley is going to think I am the greatest thing since sliced bread. 1978, Joe Girard, Stanley H. Brown, How to Sell Anything to Anybody, page 104:

Forms

Translations (3)

fr mieux que le fil à couper le beurre (a relatively recent invention) · sv det bästa sedan skivat bröd (a relatively recent invention) · de das Größte seit der Erfindung der Bratkartoffel (a relatively recent invention)