焦げ付く

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 焦げ付く is read as こげつく and is a godan intransitive verb meaning to burn onto a surface or, financially, to become uncollectible.
• Basic usage: Use ソースが鍋に焦げ付く for food sticking through scorching and 売掛金が焦げ付く for bad receivables.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Surface marked by に
  • The vessel onto which food burns is marked with に, while the item that sticks is the subject of this intransitive verb.
• Physical and financial senses
  • With food it means burning and adhering; with accounts receivable it means becoming impossible to collect.