A "potboiler" (POT-boy-lur) is an inferior literary work, produced quickly for the purpose of making money. The word is derived from the expression "boil the pot," meaning "provide one’s livelihood."
Example (as used by Stephen Kinzer in The New York Times): "If reading and travel are two of life’s most rewarding experiences, to combine them is heavenly. I don’t mean sitting on a beach reading the latest potboiler, a fine form of relaxation but not exactly mind-expanding."
Similar Articles:
- The Grouchy Traveler’s Guide to Airplane Etiquette – Traveling. You’re stuffed into a tiny metal cylinder for hours at a time. You’re cramped. You’re hun…
- Quintessential – Something that’s “quintessential” (kwin-tuh-SEN-shul) – Latin for “fifth essence” – represents the p…
- Is Nothing Sacred Anymore? – Using examples from the real world can make your writing stronger, more specific, and more believabl…
- Making Your Own Headlines – I can see it now. The first good week the market has, there will be a slew of headlines using the sa…
- Qi Gong for Stress Reduction and More – You may have never bothered to wonder why a cat grooms itself all day. But you should. The answer co…
- Why Gas Prices and Airline Fees Shouldn’t Stop You From Traveling – High gas prices and rising airline fees may be keeping you closer to home than you’d like to be… but…
- AdWords Expert Howie Jacobson on Changing the Channel: “Dozens of Strategies to Increase Your Bottom Line.” – “Changing the Channel is a valuable ally for any business owner willing to go beyond the ’same-old’ …