golden goose



Like this video? Subscribe to our free daily email and get a new idiom video every day!

golden goose

A person, thing, or organization that is or has the potential to earn a lot of money for a long period of time. Taken from a folk tale of a goose that would lay a golden egg once a day, but was killed by its owner because he wanted all of its gold at once. New carbon taxes have proved to be a golden goose for the government, providing a steady and much-needed source of revenue. College athletics, especially football, have always been a golden goose for universities, which earn significant sums from attendance at games and tournaments.
See also: golden, goose

Common Names:

NameGenderPronouncedUsage
Vivienne-French
Chandan-Indian, Hindi, Bengali, Odia
Dickerson['dikəsən]
PollyPAHL-eeEnglish
Stjepan-Croatian, Serbian
Norenenawr-EENIrish, English