A flash in the pan means a brief success that does not last. This answer is correct because the expression has a fixed figurative meaning in English. In an SSC idiom question, students should match the whole phrase with its accepted meaning rather than translate each word separately.

• Classroom example: A flash in the pan can refer to a brief success that does not last.
• Story example: A writer may use A flash in the pan when describing a brief success that does not last.
• Exam example: When a sentence contains A flash in the pan, choose the meaning “a brief success that does not last.”