Top Pages
Home
A-Z Glossary
Punctuation
A-Z Confused Words
Common Mistakes
(ordered by seriousness) Top Tip
Get a grammar checker
for your browser ESL Vocabulary Lists Parts of Speech Lists Tests and Games Awkward Plurals Sayings and Proverbs Twitter YouTube
(ordered by seriousness) Top Tip
Get a grammar checker
for your browser ESL Vocabulary Lists Parts of Speech Lists Tests and Games Awkward Plurals Sayings and Proverbs Twitter YouTube
Piping Hot (Origin)
What Is the Origin of the Saying "Piping Hot"?
The term piping hot means extremely hot. It is thought to have originated from the sound of the old pipe organs in large churches. It was first penned by Chaucer in the Canterbury Tales. He wrote Wafers piping hot out of the gleed.A Competing Theory
In Scotland, when ceremonial dishes of food are brought to the table to the accompaniment of bagpipes, they are piped in; i.e., they are piping hot.
Examples of Use:
- That plate has just come out of the oven. It's piping hot!
- Why didn't you blow on it before you ate it? I told you it was piping hot.
- The baking tray is piping hot. Use oven gloves.
Previous and Next Sayings
Test Your Knowledge of English Proverbs and Idioms
Ready for the Test?
More Proverbs, Sayings, and Idioms
Help Us Improve Grammar Monster
- Do you disagree with something on this page?
- Did you spot a typo?
Find Us Quicker!
- When using a search engine (e.g., Google, Bing), you will find Grammar Monster quicker if you add #gm to your search term.
Next lesson >