# nine-day wonder

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/nine-day-wonder
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Something that generates interest for a limited time and is then abandoned.

## Examples

- That new viral video is just a nine-day wonder.
- I hope this new hobby is not just another nine-day wonder.
- The media obsessed over the new gadget for a week, but it proved to be a nine-day wonder.
- Many people worried the new fitness trend would be a nine-day wonder, but it has remained popular for over a year now.
- The neighbors complained about the loud construction for a week, but the drama was a nine-day wonder once the work finished.
- While the politician's radical proposal initially captured the public imagination, it ultimately became a nine-day wonder, quickly forgotten as the next scandal emerged.

## Origin

From nine + day + wonder (“something that causes amazement or awe”). References to a period of nine days or nights to describe the length of a short-lived fad date from as early as the 14th century; see, for instance, Troilus and Criseyde (c. 1380s) by the English poet Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1340s – 1400; spelling modernized): “Ek [besides] wonder last but nine days never in town”.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.