Do you smell what Barack is cookin'?

[Torsten]

Hi everyone, is the phrase 'to smell what somebody is cooking' a fixed expression? I mean did it exist before the slogan "do you smell what Barack is cookin'?'

Thanks a lot,
Torsten
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Test Of English for International Communication
TOEIC Preparation & TOEIC Vocabulary

[Haihao]

I have a feeling that "do you smell what Barack is cooking" showing up as a slogan is a coined term after Mr Obama's campaign.

Just my two cents.

[Mister Micawber]

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No, I don't think so, Torsten-- it is just a straightforward question.
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Canadian-American native speaker
who teaches English for a living at Mister Micawber's
ESL cafe: Interview with Mr. Micawber

[Molly]

Does it come from "to cook something up" (falsifying, fabricating, etc.)?

[Haihao]

I don't feel 'cooking' here has any negative meaning like 'cook up'. I am not sure but I suppose it's close to 'making'.

[Nyne]

Barack Obama used it jokingly to appeal to WWE fans.
The phrase was modified. It was originally "Do you smell what the rock is cooking?". A performer for the WWE, "The Rock", used this as his "catch phrase".