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“It’s the best thing since…you know what” has replaced its sliced bread predecessor as the go-to saying when praising innovation. This is lazy and this is a shame.
I’m not saying we should revive sliced bread. When we’re done with a cliché, we should make a clean break. None of this post-breakup flirting. But we still need an easy way to shovel praise on something novel. Someone must invent a new phrase, and I’m not afraid to step up, accept responsibility, pass said responsibility on to our readers, and return to my recliner.
The-best-thing-since-the-imaginary- yellow-line-first-down-marker is (slightly) clunky. The-best-thing- since-Varia, Samus’ special protective suit in Metroid, is (possibly) too obscure. You can do better. And we at mental_floss (or at least me at mental_floss) promise to use the best suggestion both here on the blog and in casual conversation. Put another way, the payoff is huge.
All this talk about innovation got me hungry. Off to Amy’s Bread, where I plan to purchase a smaller portion of the larger loaf. What a concept.
The best thing since a series of tubes.
posted by Papageno on 11-10-2006 at 2:37 pm
The best things since the Internets got The Google.
posted by Robert on 11-10-2006 at 3:17 pm
The best thing since YouTube.
posted by Dan H. on 11-10-2006 at 3:54 pm
The best thing since irrigation.
posted by Alex on 11-10-2006 at 4:39 pm
“The best thing since sliced peanut butter.”
I used this phrase a few months ago, then got curious about it, and found out that this product has actually already been invented!
posted by monger187 on 11-10-2006 at 5:05 pm
…Since the cardboard box.
Really. Before that, everything had to shipped in large wooden crates. Cardboard boxes made shipping and distribution affordable.
Sliced bread just put a bunch of local bakeries out of business.
Those aren’t my ideas, but I cannot remember where I picked them up.
posted by n2y2 on 11-10-2006 at 5:06 pm
The best thing since clap lights.
The best thing since cha-cha-chia pets.
The pest thing since minty fresh toothpaste.
The best thing since air conditioning.
Just a few ideas…
posted by Ellen on 11-11-2006 at 12:49 am
The best thing since pet doors.
The best thing since cars that parallel park themselves.
The best thing since clear garbage bags.
The best thing since that wine opener that (sort of) looks like a rabbit.
posted by Maria on 11-11-2006 at 9:38 am
Best thing since the CPU.
posted by Russ Rollins on 11-11-2006 at 12:03 pm
The best thing since indoor plumbing.
posted by Adrienne on 11-11-2006 at 12:15 pm
The best thing since expressions of praise.
The best thing since Fridays. (May be confusing on Friday, especially while dining at a “Fridays.”)
Best thing since bandaids.
Best thing since frequency modulation.
Best thing since enough things were around to compare. (would that be 2, or 3?)
posted by Asa on 11-11-2006 at 1:32 pm
I’m sorry, but there’s only one answer to this query:
The best thing since TiVO.
posted by Sandy on 11-11-2006 at 7:24 pm
This contest is the best thing since opposable thumbs.
posted by Adam on 11-11-2006 at 7:39 pm
________ is the best thing since tacos and beer.
posted by Daniel on 11-12-2006 at 10:14 am
I like Adrienne’s, the indoor plumbing one. It’s the best thing since fuzzy bunny slippers!
posted by Ellen on 11-12-2006 at 6:51 pm
If you’ve ever had to use an outhouse, you really appreciate indoor plumbing!
posted by Adrienne on 11-13-2006 at 2:06 am
The greatest thing since the rewind button.
posted by Caleb on 11-13-2006 at 2:22 am
Hmmm… the best thing since:
caller i.d.?
canned soda?
thumbdrives!
Hmmm, no, it’s funny how nothing just sounds as good as ’sliced bread.’ =P
posted by Amber on 11-13-2006 at 5:26 am
Okay, to replace “sliced bread” we need something more recent (but not too recent, who wants to be the “best since last year”?), important, universally liked, relatively simple and timeless (not likely to ever be obsolete). That’s tough…
The best thing since…
…the Remote Control.
Or maybe more specifically, the Mute Button (the universal prioritizer of audio input) or the Pause Button (remember when TiVo brought Pause to Live TV? Made a great idea even better).
What else?
I agree with Ellen on air conditioning.
Or how about the pop-top can? (the previous pull-tabs made walking barefoot a very risky business)
posted by Wendell on 11-13-2006 at 7:27 am
The best thing since the microwave oven!
It’s a more recent (but not too recent) invention, everyone has one, and it’s usefulness may never die.
By the way, when did the “sliced bread” saying begin? And what did they say before sliced bread?
posted by Anthony Affrunti on 11-13-2006 at 10:09 am
The best thing since the cell phone!
posted by Stew on 11-13-2006 at 11:06 am
Great question, Anthony. I couldn’t find a definitive answer, but I think the phrase was used as part of (or in response to) Wonder Bread’s advent of sliced bread, which was sold nationwide for the first time in 1930.
Let me congratulate the readership for some great responses here. The votes are still being counted. And I’d like to submit “The Best Thing Since Hypercolor.”
posted by Jason on 11-13-2006 at 11:13 am
The best thing since Easy-Mac
posted by Chad on 11-14-2006 at 9:53 am
I have heard myself say “the best invention since Audrey Hepburn”. It was the first I could think of at the time.
The sliced bread thing makes no sense in my native language. Still, sliced bread is a lot better in this context than most things mentioned here.
And yes I realize that this is an old finished discussion.
posted by Storm on 3-10-2007 at 8:11 am
The best thing since those plastic bags you use to keep sliced bread in.
posted by Steve on 5-21-2007 at 9:37 am
invent a rewind button!!!!!!!
posted by hi on 6-11-2008 at 5:11 pm