# cross of gold

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/cross-of-gold
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A public policy which puts the interests of the rich ahead of those of the poor.

## Examples

- The new tax law feels like a cross of gold.
- This budget is a cross of gold that hurts the poor.
- Critics argue that the government's latest economic policy is a cross of gold that ignores the needs of struggling families.
- The city council's decision to cut public transit funding while lowering business taxes represents a modern cross of gold for local commuters.
- Activists marched through the streets to protest the trade deal, calling it a cross of gold that protects wealthy investors instead of workers.
- The senator delivered a fiery speech, condemning the proposed legislation as a cross of gold that sacrificed the welfare of the working class for corporate profit.

## Origin

The term originates from an 1896 speech by the American politician William Jennings Bryan, who employed the image to describe a metaphorical crucifixion of the working class. Bryan argued that the maintenance of the gold standard constituted such a cross, and the phrase has since transitioned from this specific economic grievance into a more general rhetorical device.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.