Pay dirt

/pˈeɪ dˈɜːt/

[noun]

Pay dirt

[NOUN]

a valuable or significant discovery, often resulting in financial gain or success

What is the origin of the idiom "pay dirt" and when to use it?

The idiom "pay dirt" originated in the world of mining, where it refers to a valuable discovery of ore or minerals that is profitable to mine. It is used to describe any situation where someone makes a valuable or profitable discovery, often after a period of hard work or effort.

ore that yields a substantial profit to the miner

Examples

1. But now we're just hogging pay dirt.

2. Narrator: PARKER'S SECOND WASH PLANT, BIG RED, HAS RUN OUT OF PAY DIRT AND IS SITTING IDLE.

3. Fred Lewis is finally on pay dirt and has secured a wash plant.

4. As Tony busts through the permafrost, Ruby removes the pay dirt beneath.

Nearby words