The idiom golden goose or goose that lays the golden eggs is used to describe a valuable source of income or wealth. I know, weird. Right? If you’re wondering how a bird laying golden eggs came to signify wealth, I’ve got a story for you!
The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs: The Meaning Explained
The idiom golden goose or the goose that laid the golden egg simply means a valuable resource that provides a consistent stream of income or some kind of wealth. It can be anything from a lucrative job, a successful business, or an investment that keeps giving returns.
It actually has nothing to do with the terrifying bird. (Yes, they scare me. I was chased by a goose when I was five, and I’ll never forget it!)
Origin and Etymology of the Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs
Like a lot of our idioms, the phrase originates from one of Aesop’s Fables— “The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs.” In the story, a couple owns a magical goose that lays a shiny egg made of real gold every day. Greed overtakes them, and they kill the goose hoping to get all the golden eggs at once.
Spoiler alert: That wasn’t a winning strategy. So, the moral of the story is not to destroy a reliable source of income in hopes of getting even more.
Golden Goose Synonyms
I know the phrase can feel a little cheesy, so try any one of these terms in place of it.
- Cash cow
- Money spinner
- Profit center
- Gold mine
- Money tree
- Bonus word: Mom (if you ask my kids)
Golden Goose Examples in a Sentence
- His tech startup became the golden goose, consistently bringing in massive profits every quarter.
- After a ton of failed attempts, she finally found the goose that laid the golden eggs in her successful cooking blog.
- The company’s new product line is expected to be the golden goose.
- Investing in real estate turned out to be a goose laying golden eggs for him.
- Despite the risky venture, the new photography business proved to be their golden goose.
- Their new app is like a goose laying golden eggs, bringing in steady revenue every single month.
- We need to protect our golden goose of Newfoundland—the tourism industry.
- His skills in web development are like golden eggs, landing him high-paying contracts every week.
- Don’t shoot the goose laying the golden eggs by spending all your savings at once.
- With this new patent, we could have a golden goose on our hands.
Egg-citing Idiomatic Stories
And that’s another idiom unscrambled. The golden goose isn’t about gilded poultry; it’s all about finding a reliable source of wealth. Just don’t forget the moral of the original story, though: greed can destroy the very thing that gives you wealth. Now, get cracking and read my other helpful guides to idioms!
Want to know more idioms? Check out some others we covered:
