Great Western Coffee Shop

This is topic no. 20,000 - http://twcrp.info/t20000

Truly the Coffee Shop isn't just a flash in the pan ... where we ran out of things to talk about.

25,802 topics now - perhaps a few less than there would otherwise be - due to my merging some of them, simply for continuity, clarity and ease of future reference. ::)

Now, does anyone know where this expression comes from:


No cheating - by looking it up on the internet, for example - who actually knows?

CfN.

Complete guess: California Gold Rush?

Sorry, Richard: not even close to the answer.  :-X

 If my memory serves me well enough flash in the pan is much older than the Gold Rush and I seem to remember that it has something to do with an early form of firearm flintlock something like that and it flashes when it's loaded  incorrectly leading to dangerous detonation outside of the barrel .

It's absolutely that, Western Pathfinder.  ;)

In the old days (1700s and 1800s) of black gunpowder weapons, the intention was to ignite the main charge in the barrel of the gun via an external small pan of gunpowder. That was ignited by either a match, or a flint and steel, mechanism. If that link wasn't successful, and only the primer went off, it was 'just a flash in the pan'.

CfN.  ;)