Would you like to tell someone that you've heard about something so new and exciting that it literally just happened or was released a few minutes ago? The phrase 'hot off the press' can be used to tell someone this, and the popular expression has been in use as long as newspapers have. This post unpacks the origin and meaning of this saying.
Meaning
The meaning of the phrase 'hot off the press' is one that is used as an announcement phrase or statement.
To say that something is 'hot off the press' is used to say that something is newly announced, or newly released, or that something has just happened.
The phrase has become a common sight in almost all popular forms of advertising, and the phrase is considered to be as old as newspapers and classifieds themselves.
The topic that is said to be 'hot off the press' could be referring to anything, though the context is usually made clear by the rest of the sentence.
It is common for the phrase to refer to breaking or 'hot' news that has just happened.
When the phrase is used in common conversation, 'hot off the press' could refer to something that is scandalous, interesting or rooted in gossip.
Sometimes the alternative phrase 'hot off the presses' is used and still considered valid.
The phrase 'hot off the press' can refer to a single news event, or several news events that happened together.
The phrase can also be used to say that someone has just heard about something.
Examples
“Did you hear Cheryl and her husband got divorced over a can of beans last year? It's hot off the presses, and it's just the most awful news that anyone could have sent.”
“This just hot off the press: Neil Gaiman is about to write a new book, and he's going to set it in the state of New Mexico.”
“Hot off the press: someone just broke into the most famous museum in the world and broke the penis off the statue of David.”
“If you want some news that's hot off the presses, they're still dragging the Queen's body through the Kingdom.”
Origin
The phrase 'hot off the press' originated with the use of the mechanical printing press, which the majority of mainstream newspapers used to get printed in the early 1900s.
The phrase 'hot off the press' would refer to breaking news, or to news that had just been printed – as the copies often came off the printing press physically hot due to the process.
If something is 'hot off the press' then it is assumed to be breaking news, or something that nobody else has heard of.
Modern newspaper printing has changed considerably since the early origin of the phrase, but people still say 'hot off the press' as a common phrase.
The phrase 'read all about it!' was common for newspaper sellers in the UK, and it serves as a common equivalent with more or less the same meaning as saying that something is 'hot off the press'.
Phrases Similar to Hot Off the Press
- Read all about it
Phrases Opposite to Hot Off the Press
- N/a
What is the Correct Saying?
- Hot off the press
- Hot off the presses
Ways People May Say Hot Off the Press Incorrectly
There are several ways in which someone might use the phrase 'hot off the press' in the wrong way, or misunderstand the meaning of the phrase.
'Hot off the press' can refer to societal gossip, it can be used for advertising, or it can be used to refer to breaking news.
The conversation usually mentions the context of what is referred to as 'hot off the press' so that assumption is unnecessary.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase Hot Off the Press
The correct way to use the phrase 'hot off the press' is to use it to indicate that something is new or breaking news.
The phrase can be used in advertising, or it can refer to something that has just been printed as a breaking headline even if the news has appeared on the internet .