cooking with gas

== English == === Alternative forms === cooking on gas === Etymology === To cook with natural gas fuel has been occurring since at least the 19th century when the petroleum industry came into being and new products and markets were developed. The idiomatic phrase entered the popular lexicon as part of an advertising slogan in late 1930s or early 1940s, for American Gas Association. The slogan "Now you're cooking with gas!" was coined by Deke Houlgate, an employee of AGA, who worked with Bob Hope to insert the phrase into his comedy routines as subtle product placement. The initial idea was to compete with the increasing popularity of electric stoves in the 1930s. However by 1940 it came to have a broader idiomatic usage and figurative meaning because of the way it was used by Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Jack Benny and even a Daffy Duck cartoon, eclipsing its original intent as advertising. The slogan was repeated throughout the 1941-1942 radio season by many radio stars. Also used by jazz musicians to praise a performance. === Pronunciation === === Phrase === cooking with gas (informal, idiomatic) Functioning particularly effectively; achieving something substantial. 1983, Raymond Carver, 'Cathedral' (short story) She said, 'What are you doing? Tell me, I want to know.' The blind man said, 'We're drawing a cathedral. Me and him are working on it. Press hard,' he said to me. 'That's right. That's good,' he said. 'Sure. You got it, bub. I can tell. You didn't think you could. But you can, can't you? You're cooking with gas now. You know what I'm saying? We're really going to have us something here in a minute. How's the old arm?' he said. 'Put some people in there now. What's a cathedral without people?' Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see cook,‎ with,‎ gas. ==== Usage notes ==== Grammatically, a use of the "-ing" form of cook + the prepositional phrase "with gas". Together with a form of be this forms a progressive verb predicate. Only rarely are other forms used in this idiomatic sense. === See also === === References ===