“The best thing since sliced bread” is an idiom used to express something innovative and superior. It originated from the introduction of pre-sliced bread in the 1920s. The phrase has expanded to other scenarios and is still used today.
Sometimes presented as “the best thing since sliced bread,” “the best thing since sliced bread” is an idiomatic expression that gained popularity during the first half of the 20th century and has remained in use into subsequent years. . Typically, this idiom is used to express a feeling that something is innovative, exceptional, and generally superior to something that has come before. A wide variety of situations can trigger the use of this particular English saying, ranging from creating an idea to inventing some new product.
The origin of the idiom has to do with the offering of packaged bread loaves by various retail outlets since the 1920s. At the time, emerging supermarket chains began offering loaves of bread that were mass-produced and pre-sliced before reaching the market. This was a major innovation for the time, as most consumers purchased bread that required slicing at home, although some bakeries did slice the loaves for customers once the purchase was complete. Because slicing was automated, the thickness of each slice was roughly the same, a feature that delighted many customers and greatly increased the popularity of store-bought bread.
By the 1940s, referring to something like “the coolest thing since sliced bread” had become a relatively common expression in many parts of the world. Technological advances and the creation of consumer products such as televisions, automatic dishwashers and an expanded range of functions on automobiles of the time were all seen as wonderful innovations. In an era where new and improved goods and services were regularly announced, the occasion to use this idiom was common, and it was often used both in word-of-mouth recommendations among consumers and in various types of media advertising.
Over time, this phrase has moved beyond new products and been applied to other scenarios. Young lovers might say that the objects of their affection possessed this state of exaltation, or a supervisor or manager might give such a commendation to an idea developed by an employee that saves the company time and money. Today, talk of something like the best since sliced bread is still used in some quarters, even though most consumers today can’t remember a time when prepackaged loaves of bread weren’t sliced.
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