突如其來的一陣火花，看起來像是突破，但往往來得快、去得也快。這正是 a flash in the pan 背後的感覺。
它的用法一般認為與早期火器有關：燧發槍的引火藥會放在一個小小的藥盤（pan）裡。若藥盤裡的火藥點燃了，卻沒能引爆槍管內的主裝藥，就只會出現短暫的閃光與聲響，卻打不出真正的一槍，也就是場面看似驚人，結果卻落空。
如今，a flash in the pan 指某件事（或某個人）一開始迅速引起注意、看似大有可為，卻很快消退，沒有持續下去或帶來實質成果。常用來形容曇花一現的名氣、短命的潮流，或早期的亮眼表現最後不了了之。
應用
• 使用頻率：7/10
• 適用場合：Casual
例句
• His viral Instagram post brought him overnight fame, but it was just a flash in the pan; his follower count dropped back down after a few weeks.
(他那則爆紅的 Instagram 貼文讓他一夕成名，但只是曇花一現，幾個禮拜後粉絲人數又掉回去了。)
• That new restaurant was really popular for a while, but it seems it was just a flash in the pan; it’s almost empty now.
(那間新開的餐廳之前紅了一陣子，但好像只是曇花一現，現在都沒什麼人了。)
• I thought that new restaurant downtown was going to be amazing, but it turned out to be just a flash in the pan — it closed down after only two months.
(我以為市中心那家新餐廳會很厲害，結果只是曇花一現，才開兩個月就收攤了。)
