Hot Potatoes generally refers to one of three things, depending on the context: an English idiom, an interactive educational software suite, or a classic party game. 1. The English Idiom
In conversation, a “hot potato” (or “hot issue”) is a controversial, sensitive, or perilous subject that no one wants to handle because it is difficult, causes disagreements, or is bound to stir up conflict.
Example: “Tax reform and healthcare funding are always major political hot potatoes.”
Origin: The phrase alludes to the idea of a literal steaming hot baked potato—no one wants to be left holding it for long, so they quickly pass it to someone else or “drop it”. 2. The Educational Software Suite
In the technology and education world, Hot Potatoes is a well-known, free software suite (developed by Half-Baked Software at the University of Victoria) used by teachers to build interactive web exercises. The software creates HTML quizzes and puzzles that can be accessed in any web browser or uploaded to a learning platform like Moodle. HOT POTATOES ACTIVITY-‐MAKING SOFTWARE
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