🥞 Flat as a Pancake
“Flat as a pancake” means exceedingly flat—often excessively so. This simile has been flipping around since the sixteenth century. It first made its appearance in Nicholas Udall’s translation of Erasmus (1542) and later in Henry Porter’s play The Two Angrie Women of Abington (1599, 2.3). Over the years, it replaced the equally flat expression “flat as a flounder.” Today, it’s used frequently, albeit sometimes in a deprecating manner to describe a woman’s lack of mammary endowment.
Related Terms:
- Flat as a flounder: An older equivalent saying.
- Level as a board: Referring to something exceptionally flat.
- Smooth as glass: Implies extreme flatness and smoothness.
- Even as a pancake: Similar to “flat as a pancake,” but used less frequently.
Gliding Scholar 🚀 A humorous dive:
“If I had a nickel for every time someone said ‘flat as a pancake’ around me, I’d use those nickels to buy a stack of pancakes!”
Proverbs and Quotes:
- “Flatten your learning curve, don’t fall flatter than a pancake.” - Unknown
- “In the grand griddle of life, some folks are the pancake and some are the syrup!” - Jokesmith Jimmie
Literature and Media:
Books:
- Poptropica: The Flat Flu by Jeff Kinney and Kory Merritt - A light-hearted read exploring fun adventures.
- Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Abbott - How flat can a story go? Let’s explore dimensions!
Base your playlist on these genius musical pancake-landscapes:
- Songs:
- “Pancake” by T.I. – Because nothing juxtaposes ‘flat’ and ‘rap’ like a gem from T.I.
- “Do the Pancake” by Parry Gripp – For a wacky mental tune-up.
Films:
- Flatliners – Okay, the title’s a misnomer for our ‘flat’ expectation here, but it’s thrilling!
- Pancake Manor (for Kids) - A fun reimagination of rhymy tales.
Let’s not forget your mind-spatulas! How about some quiz shenanigans to whip up the batter?
Inspirational Farewell Thought: The day you start embracing the flat challenges of life, you stop getting bent out of shape. So keep it level and spaced out, with a pancake grin on your face! Happy phrase-hunting!
~ N. E. Flatbroke 🌐
