a 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.

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:
  • 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
"With every club there's coming and goings, if someone offers a king's ransom I suppose everyone is up for grabs.
'King's ransom' tag put on key man McNair
To cap it all, many TV hosts are paid a king's ransom and don't deserve it.
Scrap licence; Yourview
There are a lot of desperate people out there who believe Michael's corpse would bring a king's ransom."
Family fears MJ's body will be stolen
In Britain it costs a family a king's ransom just to pay the bills.
Letter: The BIG issue - A rubbish idea
And I'd give a king's ransom to know what was going on behind that enigmatic little smile on Terry Venables' face.
A bit too cute
This novice lost a king's ransom of the little white beggars amidst a sea of brush off the fairways.
Stone Ridge worth the drive off 17
Most of the 15-year olds we read about these days would have hot-wired that car, stolen it and then demanded a king's ransom for four-year-old Hannah.
Carole Malone: A hero aged 15
The ancient Egyptians believed King Tut was a god who would live forever, so they buried him with a king's ransom. This documentary takes us into the ancient shrine and to the Cairo Museum, as well as the New Orleans Museum of Art, for magnificent close-ups of the wondrous artifacts that were found in King Tut's tomb.
King Tut: Tomb of Treasure
But it's a king's ransom to sad-sack Democrats who seem likely to be hit very hard by the new campaign finance laws which go into effect during the next election cycle.
Who's who
But you don't have to invest a king's ransom in technology to see a benefit, says Michael Dziak, president of InteleWorks Inc., a Peachtree City, Georgia-based company that helps businesses establish telework programs.
Who should work from home? Here's how to create a telework policy that benefits your business. (Management Advice)
But these authors show how an Internet following can help techsavvy self-publishers net a king's ransom and generate e-book success.
E-books, e-zines and other adventures in Internet publishing
Roy Hodgson admitted Blackburn had paid a king's ransom for Dailly and revealed that the move had been put on hold because Blackburn had faced Derby on the opening day of the season.
Dailly star will make his own headlines at Ewood
Romania have demanded a king's ransom to let high jumper Galina Astafei represent Germany in Atlanta.
Sportsfile
A year on, Curbishley is being courted by Rangers and Warnock is reported to have been offered a king's ransom to rescue Portsmouth.
OLIVER HOLT: FANS ARE FAILING THE LOYALTY TEST
But Barnsley would have paid a king's ransom to have had Liddell yesterday.
Football: HAT-TRICK LIFTS LIDD; BARNSLEY...........1 WIGAN.................3