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lucky
born under a lucky star
Favored by or having extremely good fortune or luck. Janet found a fantastic job as soon as she finished college; I guess she was just born under a lucky star. That bus almost hit you! You must have been born under a lucky star to come out unscathed.
(one's) lucky day
A particular day or moment in one's life when one experiences extremely good luck, fortune, or favor. Wow, that's the third hand of poker I've won in a row—it must be my lucky day! Sir, today is your lucky day: you've been selected for an all-expenses-paid trip to the Bahamas!
lucky devil
Someone who has just experienced particularly good fortune, generally of whom the speaker is envious to some degree. You just won an all-expenses-paid trip to the Bahamas? You lucky devil! Dan: "I hear Janet is getting a settlement of nearly $2 million for her work injury." Patrick: "That lucky devil, all she did was break her ankle; now she's set for life!"
lucky dip
1. noun A game in which a person (typically a child) pays to search through a container in the hopes of picking out a prize that cannot be seen. Primarily heard in UK. I remember playing the lucky dip when I was young. In those days, cheap little toys were hidden in barrels of sawdust, and you had to pick them out with your eyes closed!
2. noun Any process or method in which the outcome is chosen or selected at random or without certainty. Primarily heard in UK. Buying a car online that's worth your money can be something of a lucky dip.
3. adjective (hyphenated and used before a noun) Of or having a process of random selection. Primarily heard in UK. To make room selection fair for all incoming students, the university decided to implement a lucky-dip system for room assignments.
third time lucky
The belief or hope that the third attempt at something will be successful. Primarily heard in UK. I hope to make it third time lucky after failing this test twice already!
Bless one's lucky star,
and Bless one's stars.Prov. Be thankful for a lucky thing that happened. (Also Bless my Stars!, a mild interjection of surprise.) I bless my lucky star that I met you, dear. I was in a car crash yesterday, and I bless my stars that no one was hurt. Alan: Look, honey! I gave the house a thorough cleaning while you were away. Jane: Bless my stars!
It is better to be born lucky than rich.
Prov. If you are born rich, you may lose your money, but if you are born lucky, you will always get what you need or want just by chance. Maybe your family doesn't have a lot of money, but you are lucky, you know. And it's better to be born lucky than rich.
Lucky at cards, unlucky in love.
Prov. If you frequently win at card games, you will not have happy love affairs. (Can imply the converse, that if you do not win at card games, you will have happy love affairs.) Fred: I wish I was George. He always wins tons of money at our poker games. Alan: Don't be jealous of him. Lucky at cards, unlucky in love.
lucky break
and a nice break; a big breaksignificant good fortune or opportunity. I need a lucky break about now. She's never had a lucky break. Mary is going to get a big break soon.
lucky dog
Fig. a lucky person. You won the lottery? You are a lucky dog!
lucky for you
a phrase introducing a description of an event that favors the person being spoken to. Andy: Lucky for you the train was delayed. Otherwise you'd have to wait till tomorrow morning for the next one. Fred: That's luck, all right. I'd hate to have to sleep in the station. Jane: I hope I'm not too late. Sue: Lucky for you, everyone else is late too.
*lucky streak
and *streak of luckFig. a series of lucky wins in gambling or games. (*Typically: be on ~; have ~.) Thanks to a lucky streak, I won enough in Las Vegas to pay for the trip.
strike it rich
to acquire wealth suddenly. If I could strike it rich, I wouldn't have to work anymore. Sally ordered a dozen oysters and found a huge pearl in one of them. She struck it rich!
thank one's lucky stars
Fig. to be thankful for one's luck. You can thank your lucky stars that I was there to help you. I thank my lucky stars that I studied the right things for the test.
thank your lucky stars
to be grateful for having good luck I thanked my lucky stars that no one took my bag when I stupidly left it on a park bench.
strike it rich
to become suddenly and unexpectedly rich or successful Many immigrants dream of striking it rich in America.
Etymology: based on literal meaning of strike it rich ( to find gold in the ground)
happy-go-lucky
a happy-go-lucky person is happy all of the time and does not worry about anything He struck me as a happy-go-lucky kind of guy.
get lucky
(informal) to meet someone who you can have sex with Why don't you come along? You never know, you might get lucky.
You should be so lucky!
(informal) something that you say in order to tell someone that what they want is not likely to happen A pay increase? You should be so lucky!
See strike it lucky, thank lucky starsstrike it lucky
(British, American & Australian) also strike lucky (British & Australian) to suddenly have some good luck They struck it lucky with their second album which became an immediate best-seller.
strike it rich
to suddenly become rich He struck it rich in the oil business.
thank your lucky stars
to feel lucky or grateful that you have avoided an unpleasant situation I'm just thanking my lucky stars that I wasn't there when she was looking for someone to give the talk. And you can thank your lucky stars (= you should be grateful to me) that I didn't tell him when he asked.
born under a lucky star
Very fortunate, as in
Peter comes out ahead no matter what he tries; he was born under a lucky star. That stars influence human lives is an ancient idea, and
lucky star was used by writers from Shakespeare to the present. The precise phrase appears in a compendium of English idioms compiled by J. Burvenich in 1905. Also see
thank one's lucky stars.
strike it rich
Also, strike oil or strike it lucky. Experience sudden financial success, as in He never dreamed that he'd strike it rich this soon, or They really struck oil with that investment, or One of these days we'll strike it lucky. The first of these idioms originated in mining, where it referred to finding a rich mineral deposit. [Colloquial; second half of 1800s]
thank one's lucky stars
Be grateful for good fortune, as in
I thank my lucky stars that I wasn't on that plane that crashed. This phrase, which reflects the ancient belief in the influence of stars over human destinies, appeared in slightly different form in Ben Jonson's play
Every Man Out of His Humour (1599): "I thank my Stars for it." The exact locution dates from the 1800s and is more a general expression of relief than of belief in the stars' protection. Also see
thank god.
the breaks
Pieces of luck, turns of events, as in
No matter how well he pitches, the team always makes fielding errors-that's the breaks, I guess , or
There's not much you can do if the breaks are against you. In the singular and modified forms, this term becomes
good or bad or lucky break . In the plural form, only the context determines its favorable or unfavorable meaning. [
Slang; early 1900s] Also see
tough break.
lucky dog
n. a lucky person, perhaps undeserving. (Also a term of address. Older than the more recent use of dogg = buddy, guy.) Bart was a lucky dog because he won the football pool.
strike it rich
tv. to become rich suddenly. Pete is the kind of guy who wants to strike it rich and live in the lap of luxury for the rest of his life.
strike it rich
Informal To have sudden financial success.