Piping hot

[sherrardk]

Just put a pizza in the oven (I live the high life) and noticed that it says 'make sure product is piping hot (or similar)'. I know this means thoroughly hot but where does the saying come from? Thanks.

[Buenchico]

Quote:
"The derivation of this little phrase is the sizzling, whistling sound made by steam escaping from very hot food, which is similar to the sound of high-pitched musical pipes"

Source:
http://www.phrases.or...nings/piping-hot.html

[joggerjayne]

Have you never put your hand on the "piping" leading to your radiators?

That's really hot.

[joggerjayne]

... or maybe what Chris said.

[sherrardk]

Thanks for that, you learn something new every day.

[Quassia]

^ ditto!

[douglas9401]

It actually stems from the earliest microwave snack. The often mis-pronounced expression is "pie-ping hot". So there.

[sherrardk]

Excellent Douglas.

[Quassia]

Oh your a one douglas! lol!!

[joggerjayne]

But wouldn't it be "pie ding hot" ?

I had chicken ding tonight. And it was pie-ping hot.

[JonnyBoy12]

When is water musical?


When it is piping hot!

[wildwood]

Chris' answer makes sense. I have met this question before and up to now thought it was.....

Chefs use piping bags to pipe hot potatoes and other stuff on the plate/dish in a fancy form. This food needs to be hot as when it is cold it goes stiff and is impossible to squeeze though a piping bag.

[atalanta]

Possibly related to the old whistling kettles. When a kettle whistled, it was as hot as it could possibly get