paydirt

hit pay dirt

To discover or come upon something very, particularly, or abundantly valuable or useful, especially after a long or arduous search. I had been combing through books in the library for hours trying to find material for my thesis, when finally I hit pay dirt with an old collection of literary criticisms from the 1970s. One of my fondest memories was searching through my grandfather's attic when I was a kid, convinced that some day I would hit pay dirt.
See also: dirt, hit, pay

pay dirt

Something very, particularly, or abundantly valuable or useful, especially that which has been discovered after a long or arduous search. Used especially in the phrase "hit/strike pay dirt." I was combing through books in the library for hours trying to find material for my thesis, when finally I hit pay dirt with an old collection of literary criticisms from the 1970s. I loved to search through my grandfather's attic when I was a kid, convinced that someday I would strike pay dirt.
See also: dirt, pay

strike pay dirt

To discover or happen upon something very, particularly, or abundantly valuable or useful, especially after a long or arduous search. I was combing through books in the library for hours, trying to find material for my thesis, when finally I struck pay dirt with an old collection of literary criticisms from the 1970s. I loved to search through my grandfather's attic when I was a kid, convinced that someday I would strike pay dirt.
See also: dirt, pay, strike
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

hit pay dirt

 
1. Fig. to discover something of value. (Alludes to discovering valuable ore.) Sally tried a number of different jobs until she hit pay dirt. I tried to borrow money from a lot of different people. They all said no. Then when I went to the bank, I hit pay dirt.
2. Fig. to get great riches. After years of poverty, the writer hit pay dirt with his third novel. Jane's doing well. She really hit pay dirt with her new business.
See also: dirt, hit, pay
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

hit pay dirt

or

strike pay dirt

mainly AMERICAN, INFORMAL
If you hit pay dirt or strike pay dirt, you find or achieve something important and valuable. Note: `Pay dirt' is often written as `paydirt'. `Let's not give up on the courts,' Millard says. `We still might hit pay dirt with one of the issues.' The first two people with whom she spoke hung up on her. With the third, she struck pay dirt. The archeologists started in spring and hit paydirt: sets of bones, presumably of Carib Indians. Note: This expression probably refers to earth which contains enough gold dust to make it financially worthwhile to look for gold in it.
See also: dirt, hit, pay
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

hit/strike ˈpay dirt

(informal, especially American English) suddenly be in a successful situation, especially one that makes you rich: The band hit pay dirt two years ago with their first album, but have since been less successful.This comes from mining. Pay dirt is earth that contains valuable minerals or metal such as gold.
See also: dirt, hit, pay, strike
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

hit pay dirt

and strike pay dirt
1. tv. to discover something of value. When we opened the last trunk, we knew we had hit pay dirt.
2. tv. to get to the basic facts of something. When we figured out the code, we really struck pay dirt.
See also: dirt, hit, pay

strike pay dirt

verb
See hit pay dirt
See also: dirt, pay, strike
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
See also:
  • pay dirt, hit
  • pay dirt, to hit/strike
  • hit pay dirt
  • hit/strike pay dirt
  • strike pay dirt
  • pay dirt
  • shower (something) upon (someone or something)
  • shower with
  • shower (someone or something) with (something)
  • shower (something) on (someone or something)
References in periodicals archive
There's a small plot to the front, but at the rear is paydirt, with paving and a lawn, perfect for the good life without leaving the town.
Outdoor living for urbanites; You too can live the good life in the city
Every once in a while some lucky hotel chain hits paydirt and finds a really switched on PR agen- cy, whose smart approach bags them loads of coverage.
THE SPIN
Bare hands or crude picks wielded by slave laborers scavenging through the paydirt of open mines.
Congo's women, children being sacrificed for our e-toys
The band stated in the '70s but hit paydirt in the '80s with a series of power ballads including Don't Stop Believing, Any Way You Want It and Wheel in the Sky.
COMING TO THE CIA
One sultry night, he appears to have hit paydirt with Vincent - an enigmatic passenger with seemingly more money than sense, who has several stops to make over a few hours.
TV&RADIO: Films of the week
But the memo to the Texas office will be loud and clear: The Liverpool Reds franchise is about to hit paydirt.
Football: Now Benitez can silence whingers; CALVIN'S COMMENT
In designing the store, the entire shopping experience and many of the product offerings according to a female customer's desires, Lowe's has hit paydirt, with 42 percent of females preferring Lowe's versus 33 percent favoring The Home Depot.
Home Depot, Lowe's is making you sorrier
The four hit paydirt at the end of last year with their first recording together.
Talent shining through
Black and Ginger on Colquitt Street got in touch to say they've revamped Utility's user-friendly, gadget-tastic website and also hit paydirt with www.
It's a tough job but someone's gotta do it
They show that, separated from the grubby world of profit and functionality, the human mind can work to an amazing degree in the pursuit of gizmos that might - just might - hit paydirt.
Albert Park's Column
Paydirt! A few days later I got a call from Wesley Johnson, who as a boy had visited Stuart often and vividly remembers being shown the lunar flare.
A detective story
ALSO on at Ikon, in the Second Floor galleries, is Paydirt, the first UK solo show for New York artist Joe Scanlan.
GO! ART: VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF IKON LIFE
We're not sure if we have a trio of pop or rock star wannabes or not, but for kids so young (six, four, and three), there seems to be an awful lot of singing and music-playing around our house, so we knew we'd really struck paydirt when we spotted the US-1800 Portable CD & G Karaoke Boombox ($99) by VocoPro, La Verne, Calif.
Sing out loud. (What's new? Holiday gifts galore)
"Every time I dug into something at the Ag Department, we hit paydirt," Miller told Fleeson.
Watching the Feds
He won some local talent shows but hit paydirt at age 16 when he landed the plum role in a soft-drink commercial.
How Brothers Can Build A Superbody