A passing fad

Origin

The word "fad" itself emerged in the mid-19th century, gaining traction to describe peculiar habits or objects that quickly gained and lost popularity. It comes from an earlier, obscure slang term, "fadding," meaning "to make a fuss." When paired with "passing"—a word that has long described movement and transience—the phrase "a passing fad" crystallised into a perfect descriptor for anything with a brief moment in the sun, capturing that sense of something popular now, but destined for quick oblivion. It’s a gentle reminder that not every bright new thing is here to stay.