catchphrase / said by James
Let's start out hot
What does "Let's start out hot" mean on Small Town Murder?
James's hand-off from the town talk into the case, announcing that he will open at the most dramatic moment, usually the discovery of the body or the crime itself, and then rewind to the background. It became a fixed part of the recent episodes' structure.
- Kind
- catchphrase
- Usually said by
- James
- First heard
- Episode 509, 11 July 2024
The story behind the phrase
Where did "Let's start out hot" come from?
It first appears in episode 509, when James finishes the town talk and says "let's start out hot here and then we'll figure out, put the pieces back together". He then jumps straight to a date and time in 1989.
It signals that he will open the case at its most dramatic moment, such as the discovery of a victim, and then go back to fill in the background. In episode 525 he says he is doing it on purpose, to open two stories the same way so that listeners can hear how alike and how different they are.
How is "Let's start out hot" used now?
It becomes a regular hand-off from the town chatter into the case, usually right after "let's talk about some murder" and followed by a date. James uses it in episodes 620, 662, 704 and 718, and in episode 745 he tweaks it to "we're gonna start out hot with this one".
When was "Let's start out hot" first said?
It was first heard in episode 509, "Almost Got Away With It", on 11 July 2024, at about 0:23:33.
"Let's start out hot here and then we'll figure out."
James says 'let's start out hot here and then we'll figure out... put the pieces back together' and jumps straight to 24 July 1989. It sounds coined on the spot as a way to open on the shocking moment and rewind, not yet an established joke.
Heard in these episodes
Found by searching the transcripts; speech recognition can miss a use.
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