hotdog

Everyday

1. A hot sausage, usually a frankfurter, served in a long soft bread roll, often with ketchup or mustard. tree →
2. (informal, mainly US) A person who shows off, especially in a sport, doing risky or flashy tricks. tree →
3. (informal, US) To hotdog is to show off with daring tricks, for example on skis, a skateboard or a surfboard. tree →
4. (old-fashioned US) «Hot dog!» is a happy shout meaning «great!» tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life it is a quick food sold at sports games, fairs, barbecues and street stands; in stories it sets a scene of a ballgame, a fair or a picnic. In maths word problems hotdogs are things to count, price and share («each hotdog costs $3»). The show-off sense appears in sports stories. Phrases: a hotdog stand, hotdog bun, hotdog with everything, a hotdog vendor.

Examples

• We bought two hotdogs at the baseball game. tree →
• Dad put ketchup and mustard on my hotdog. tree →
• The hotdog stand at the fair had a long queue. tree →
• If one hotdog costs $3, how much do four hotdogs cost? tree →
• Grandpa sliced the hotdog so the baby would not choke. tree →
• Stop hotdogging on the slopes and ski safely! tree →
• He is a bit of a hotdog on the skateboard, always doing tricks for the crowd. tree →
• «Hot dog! We won!» shouted Uncle Joe. tree →

Note

Countable noun: one hotdog, two hotdogs. Spelled «hotdog» or «hot dog»; both are fine. It contains no dog meat — the name is an old joke about the sausage's shape and German «dachshund sausages». In the UK and Australia people also say «frankfurter» or «sausage in a bun»; in Australia a «hot dog» is sometimes called a «hotdog» or «frank». Safety: cut hotdogs into small pieces for little children, as round slices can cause choking. In maths, a hotdog problem is usually a multiplication or money problem.