hot number

Idioms  

1. Also, hot stuff. Someone or something that is currently popular or fashionable; also, someone or something unconventional or daring. For example, That new song is going to be a hot number, or He really thinks he's hot stuff. These slangy expressions use hot in the sense of “recent” or “fresh,” a usage dating from the 1300s, although hot stuff dates from the 1700s and hot number from about 1900.

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Example Sentences

But their calculations have been volatile in recent months, and a surprisingly hot number could cause a shift in thinking once again.

From New York Times • Nov. 27, 2024

Economists will pore over the release of eurozone consumer price data: A hot number could force the European Central Bank to more aggressively raise interest rates later in the week.

From New York Times • May 1, 2023

Australian consumer price data is due on Wednesday and a hot number could lend support by ramping up bets on rate hikes, though analysts warned the backdrop was mostly negative.

From Reuters • Jul. 25, 2022

"The data obviously came in a bit hotter-than-expected but people were expecting a hot number to begin with, so it was pretty well priced into the market because everyone has been talking about inflation."

From Reuters • Feb. 10, 2022

Once a footnote in any pop history of the decade, she is now the summer's hot number.

From Time Magazine Archive

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