ENGLISH
REFERENCE

now you're cooking

idiom
Meaning

Used to praise someone for adopting a more effective or suitable method or approach, or to signal that progress is being made.

Origin

disputed origin

Derives from a version of the advertising slogan Now you're cooking with gas!, that entered the popular lexicon in the 1930s. See also cooking with gas.

Examples
SIMPLE

That is a much better idea, now you're cooking.

CONTEXTUAL

You finally stopped using that slow software and switched to the new tool; now you're cooking.

COMPLEX

Once the team abandoned their outdated strategy and embraced the new data, it was clear that now they were cooking with real momentum.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    any time now

    Very soon.

  2. 02

    cooking with gas

    Functioning particularly effectively; achieving something substantial.

  3. 03

    now and again

    Synonym of occasionally, sometimes, intermittently.

  4. 04

    now and then

    Synonym of occasionally, sometimes, intermittently.

  5. 05

    now for

    Used to introduce something that is to occur or be presented next.

  6. 06

    now or never

    At this sole opportunity or time, or not at all.

  7. 07

    now you mention it

    Used to precede another comment about something just mentioned.

  8. 08

    now you're talking

    A phrase indicating agreement with a previously stated suggestion to change a course of action.

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