ENGLISH
REFERENCE

licence to print money

idiom
Meaning

A means of generating a large income with little effort.


Origin

first recorded 20th c.

Often attributed to Lew Grade, and notably used by Roy Thompson of Scottish Television around 1956.

Examples
SIMPLE

That popular new app is a licence to print money.

CONTEXTUAL

Since the company owns the only bridge in the city, the toll fees are essentially a licence to print money.

COMPLEX

The corporation secured an exclusive government contract for the software, effectively granting them a licence to print money for the next decade.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    bees and honey

    [Cockney slang]money

  2. 02

    big money

    A large amount of money, especially a significant source of revenue or income.

  3. 03

    bread and Honey

    [Cockney slang]money

  4. 04

    clean money

    Money that is legally or honestly gained or earned.

  5. 05

    coffee money

    A small amount of money given as a bribe or gratuity.

  6. 06

    conscience money

    Money which is voluntarily paid by a party who feels guilt, and seeks to provide compensation, for some past misdeed or negligence.

  7. 07

    dirty money

    Money that is illegally gained, illegally transferred or illegally utilized, especially money gained through forgery, bribery, prostitution, money laundering, or theft.

  8. 08

    easy money

    Money that is easily acquired.

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