golden ticket

[ gohl-duhn tik-it ]

noun

, Informal.

1. a way or chance to obtain something valuable or desirable that is often hard to get:

   A lot of parents think that getting into a prestigious university is a golden ticket, but you have to work hard to make that opportunity count.

   The serum contains proven ingredients that are a golden ticket to longer, healthier nails.

Word History and Origins

Origin of golden ticket¹

First recorded in 1680–90

Example Sentences

“I think I got the golden ticket,” he says.

From Salon

We’ll get to the chunky octopus in a bit, but we want to start with the golden ticket.

From Los Angeles Times

So the yellow sign is your golden ticket, and you can legally park there — free of charge.

From Los Angeles Times

A pension is a golden ticket to guaranteed retirement income until the day you die, no matter when that happens.

From Salon

Charlene says she felt she had won the golden ticket when she finally found a specialist school in the south-east of England that would meet her children’s needs.

From BBC