king's ransom

king's ransom

A very large sum of money. I've always wanted to vacation in Hawaii, but the plane tickets cost a king's ransom.
See also: ransom
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

*king's ransom

Fig. a great deal of money. (To pay an amount as large as one might have to pay to get back a king held for ransom. *Typically: cost ~; pay ~; spend~.) I would like to buy a nice watch, but I don't want to pay a king's ransom for it. It's a lovely house. I bet it cost a king's ransom.
See also: ransom
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

king's ransom

A huge sum of money, as in That handmade rug must have cost a king's ransom. This metaphoric expression originally referred to the sum required to release a king from captivity. [Late 1400s]
See also: ransom
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

a king's ransom

mainly BRITISH
A king's ransom is an extremely large sum of money. She was paid a king's ransom for a five-minute appearance in the film. With so few skilled electricians available, these people can charge a king's ransom for their services.
See also: ransom
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

a king's ransom

a huge amount of money; a fortune.
In feudal times prisoners of war were freed for sums in keeping with their rank, so a king, as the highest-ranking individual, commanded the greatest ransom.
See also: ransom
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

a ˌking’s ˈransom

(literary) a very large amount of money: We don’t exactly get paid a king’s ransom in this job.In the past, if a king was captured in a war, his country would pay a ransom for his release.
See also: ransom
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • a king's ransom
  • hold (someone) for ransom
  • hold for ransom
  • ain’t 1
  • go out of
  • other than
  • other than (something)
  • pillow-biter
  • let something drop
  • on one
References in periodicals archive
She said: "I am absolutely loving the King's Ransom.
It would take a king's ransom to get him out of the club."
King's Ransom proved way too good for his selling rivals once Sanders secured a clear run but the enjoyment of the success was lost on trainer Willie Muir when he was outbid at the auction by fellow trainer Steve Gollings at 13,700gns.
RANGERS will have to cough up a king's ransom to keep Alex McLeish after failing to sign him on a long- term deal when he checked into Ibrox.
The Galo habit is a great way to build a delightful wardrobe without paying a king's ransom.
For not only are day traders matching their wits against the market on a minute-by-minute basis, they must also fight to keep their own emotions in check--regardless of whether they happen to be making a king's ransom or watching all their money go up in smoke.
Several years ago whe the authority spent a king's ransom on this, I thought it was a lost oportunity.
So check out a bundle of top quality baby buys we've selected which won't cost you a king's ransom.
"I hope we are all going to be successful together and it's enormous credit to Jonathan that we ain't paying a king's ransom for him, we are paying a very manageable salary to a boy whose talent has enabled him to play for some of the best clubs in the world."
IT MAY be treachery to say so, but if you take the family away to France or Italy during next year's Diamond Jubilee celebrations in June you can save a king's ransom and pay less than pounds 260 for these posh camping breaks available from European holiday specialist I Spy Camping (www.ispycamping.com).
The penalty for driving without a licence, insurance and frequently MoT and tax, is a drop in the ocean compared to the king's ransom they have to pay to stay 'legit'.
The robbers kidnapped Colin Dixon, the manager of the Securitas depot in Tonbridge, Kent, and his wife and child, before getting away with what prosecutors described as a "king's ransom".
FIVE men face lengthy jail terms today for stealing a "king's ransom" in Britain's biggest cash robbery.
Steve Gollings does a fine job with a limited bunch of thoroughbreds and can strike again with King's Ransom. The four-year-old appears well treated off a mark of 60 for the Southwell Golf Club Handicap, having done the business off 4lb higher at Lingfield in January.
9am A so-called friend phones to say my ticket's been sold for a king's ransom and that the telly coverage should prove a suitable substitute.