nine-day wonder

nine-day wonder

A person or thing that generates interest for only a short amount of time. The band's biggest fear was becoming a nine-day wonder, soon to be forgotten when the next big sound hit the airwaves.
See also: wonder
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

nine-day wonder, a

A short-lived sensation. This term originated in a proverb dating from Chaucer’s time, “For wonder last but nine night nevere in toune.” It was recorded by John Heywood in 1546: “This wonder (as wonders last) lasted nine daies.” Another version is “A wonder lasts nine days, and then the puppy’s eyes are open,” referring to the fact that dogs are born blind, which may be the ultimate source of the analogy—that is, after nine days one’s eyes are open and the so-called wonder is seen for what it really is. The term continues to appear in all kinds of context, as in, “There is great risk in becoming involved in a product that is a nine-day wonder” (T. Lundberg, Starting in Business, 1985, writing about skateboards—he was clearly wrong).
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer

nine day wonder

Something with short-lived popularity. The idea is that a song, a fad, or anything else that captures the public's fancy starts out like a house on fire but begins to pall after a little more than a week. The proverb “A wonder lasts nine days, and then the puppy's eyes are open” refers to dogs being born with their eyes shut; like them, the public is blind to the fad until they become sated or bored or both and then their eyes metaphorically open. The earliest recorded use of the phrase came from William Kemp, an Elizabethan comic actor, who in 1600 did a Morris dance over the 130 miles from London to Norwich. His account of his nine-day dance-athon was titled Kemp's Nine Daies Wonder, which would suggest that the phrase had been well in vogue before Kemp used it.
See also: nine, wonder
Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price
See also:
  • nine day wonder
  • nine-day wonder, a
  • one-day wonder
  • a one-day wonder
  • a seven-day wonder
  • seven-day wonder
  • nine days' wonder
  • a nine days' wonder
  • a wonder lasts but nine days
  • fakus
References in periodicals archive
He said the gesture would not be a nine-day wonder, but would be sustained in the subsequent years to ensure that standard of education is totally improved in producing more scholars and academia in the municipality to contribute effective and efficiently to the socio-economic growth of the country.
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The handshake cannot possibly have been a result of a nine-day wonder!Five, Mr Odinga liked to paint the picture of Kenya on the brink as a result of his threat of parallel administration in Nasa strongholds and a government determined to have its way.
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AND THE critics said it would be a nine-day wonder.
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But this thinking no longer applies because Kia has grown to be a big hitter in the UK and not the nine-day wonder some at its birth here predicted.
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Dubai 2020--needs to be planned, managed effectively and sustained to ensure firstly, that it does not disappoint and secondly, that is not just a nine-day wonder. An example in point is the UK, which benefited from the iconic Olympics in 2012 and, a year later in 2013, the Tour de France offered the UK another showcase opportunity.
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Going forward, Dr Bennett hoped that the Summit would lead to a sustained building of bridges between Africa and the Diaspora, and that it would not just be a nine-day wonder.
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Whatever the reasons, 9/nine this year is a nine-day wonder.
Biz dressed to the nines
The anniversary celebration will not be a nine-day wonder since 50 designers are vying for the doll's markets by each bringing out their own outfit-ette.
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To many they would be a nine-day wonder, but to the motoring pundits of the time they were a revelation.
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FABIO CAPELLO last night reflected on the nine-day wonder that transformed his England squad from zeroes into heroes and insisted: "I just made them believe again."
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When Virginia McKenna first launched the Born Free Foundation, then called Zoo Check, with her late husband Bill Travers and their son Will, it was branded a nine-day wonder. Twenty-one years on, however, it has a budget of 2.5 million [pounds sterling], 100,000 supporters, and 25 staff based in West Sussex.
Born to run: "is Born Free naive to promote compassionate conservation?" asks the wildlife foundation's website poll. Celebrating its 21st birthday, the charity best known for saving lions in Africa, is well aware of claims that it's too 'fluffy' or not a 'serious' set up
The only question is whether the wedding will be a massively over-hyped affair with ludicrous security like Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt, not even a nine-day wonder like Britney or never happen like J-Lo.
Off the Record
WITH regard to the closure of the Samsung factory, this is yet another nine-day wonder from the "sunshine" industries.
Who's to blame?
As far as this country is concerned, at least, Curtis is more than a nine-day wonder. As Open champion he is rather more than a nonentity but the field is not crammed with the great and famous so it was a relief for the organisers when Clark started his heroic charge.
Golf: Jolted Els forced to dig deep; HSBC WORLD MATCHPLAY Tim Clark's determined challenge provided some welcome moments of drama, writes Michael Blair at Wentworth
Now, at 26, he still feels he can be more than a nine-day wonder. From his current base with Cambridge City in the Dr Martens League, he says: "I've made a living out of football for nine years and still have ambitions to get into a successful team.
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