# pancakes and waffles

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/pancakes-and-waffles
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A response which misrepresents an opponent's argument, i.e., a straw man.

## Examples

- You are talking about pancakes and waffles instead of my actual point.
- I argued for better public transport, but he attacked a position I never held, which was just pancakes and waffles.
- By misrepresenting the core of the debate with a series of pancakes and waffles, the speaker avoided addressing the difficult questions posed by the committee.

## Origin

The term was extrapolated from a 2017 post on the social media platform Twitter by the user Coolee Bravo (@bravocoolee). It is formed by analogy with the idiom apples and oranges.

---

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.