meal ticket
Someone or something that provides income or livelihood, especially as an exploited source.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He treats his famous brother like a meal ticket.”
“The struggling actor realized his wealthy partner was only interested in him as a meal ticket.”
“She eventually grew tired of being viewed merely as a meal ticket by those who only sought to profit from her professional success.”
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buy a ticket to
Used to indicate that someone is in agreement with an assertion, statement, or suggestion.
- 02
E ticket
Something very thrilling or exciting.
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golden ticket
A qualification, person or thing that can provide positive opportunities.
- 04
make a meal of
To spend more time and energy on some task than it warrants; to make something overly complicated; to make a big thing out of.
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one-way ticket to Palookaville
Something that results in failure or obscurity, with no chance at redemption; a dead end.
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punch someone's ticket
To put someone, especially oneself, in a position to advance or to achieve a desired objective; to gain useful experience.
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square meal
A (nutritionally) complete and satisfying meal, especially one suitable for a person performing physical labour.
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that's the ticket
That's just right; that's just what is needed.
Last updated August 10, 2026