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[1393] Midas touch

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English Idioms
All Idioms

Explanation

  • The ability to make money easily or be successful and profitable in almost any venture.

Origin

  • From Greek mythology. King Midas of Phrygia was granted a wish by the god Dionysus (or Silenus in some versions).
  • Midas wished that everything he touched would turn to gold.
  • Initially delighted, he soon found it a curse when his food, drink, and even his daughter turned to gold upon his touch.
  • While the original myth highlights the dangers of greed, the idiom Midas touch in modern English focuses solely on the positive aspect: the seemingly magical ability to generate wealth or success.

Synonyms & Related Expressions

  • Golden touch (Identical meaning)
  • Money-spinner / Moneymaker (Refers to a profitable venture, or sometimes a person good at generating profit)
  • Born winner
  • Can't lose / Everything they touch turns to gold (Literal interpretation used idiomatically)

Alternatives

Slang/Informal:

  • Killing it. (Being very successful)
  • On fire. (Experiencing great success)
  • Got the magic touch.
  • Baller. (Someone very successful and wealthy, esp. urban slang)

Milder/Common/Formal:

  • Highly successful.
  • Financially astute.
  • Profitable.
  • Having a knack for success/business.

Situational Appropriateness

  • Appropriate in informal and formal contexts (especially business and finance) when discussing someone's consistent success, particularly financial.

Misunderstanding Warnings

  • People unfamiliar with the myth might miss the reference, but the context of success and profit usually makes the meaning clear. The negative aspect of the original myth (the curse) is generally ignored in this idiom.

Examples

  • Everything she invests in makes money; she really has the Midas touch.
  • That entrepreneur seems to have the Midas touch when it comes to startups.
  • He hoped the new CEO would bring his Midas touch to the struggling company.

Dialogue

Investor A: Should we back this new project by Sarah Chen?

Investor B: Absolutely. She has the Midas touch. Her last three companies had huge exits.

Investor A: True. It seems like a safe bet with her involved.

Social Media Examples

  • Business News Tweet: Investor Warren Buffett is often described as having the Midas touch. #investing #finance #success
  • LinkedIn Post: Cultivating the Midas touch: Is it innate talent or strategic planning? #entrepreneurship #businessgrowth
  • Comment on a successful creator's post: Wow, everything you create is amazing! You definitely have the Midas touch! ✨

Response Patterns

  • Admiration/Envy: Wow, I wish I had that!, That's amazing, They're so lucky/talented.
  • Skepticism (sometimes): Is it luck or skill?, Let's see if it lasts.
  • Agreement: Definitely, everything they do succeeds.

Common Follow-up Questions/Actions

  • After hearing it: Really? What have they done?, What's their secret?, How do they do it?
  • The speaker might provide examples of the person's successes.

Conversation Starter

  • No. Describes a quality attributed to someone within a conversation.

Intonation

  • Spoken within a sentence. Emphasis usually on Midas. ...she has the MI-das touch.

Generation Differences

  • Widely understood across generations, as the myth of King Midas is fairly well-known.

Regional Variations

  • Used and understood across all major English-speaking regions.
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