strike pay dirt

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strike pay dirt

To discover or happen upon something very, particularly, or abundantly valuable or useful, especially after a long or arduous search. I was combing through books in the library for hours, trying to find material for my thesis, when finally I struck pay dirt with an old collection of literary criticisms from the 1970s. I loved to search through my grandfather's attic when I was a kid, convinced that someday I would strike pay dirt.

hit/strike ˈpay dirt

(informal, especially American English) suddenly be in a successful situation, especially one that makes you rich: The band hit pay dirt two years ago with their first album, but have since been less successful.This comes from mining. Pay dirt is earth that contains valuable minerals or metal such as gold.

strike pay dirt

verb

See hit pay dirt

pay dirt, to hit/strike

To find something very valuable; to profit hugely. The term comes from mining, where it literally refers to finding soil (dirt) that contains gold, silver, or some other precious ore. By the late nineteenth century it had been transferred to other lucrative discoveries and financial success. The term originated in mid-nineteenth-century America, probably during the Gold Rush.