Midas



have the Midas touch

Fig. to have the ability to be successful, especially the ability to make money easily. (From the name of a legendary king whose touch turned everything to gold.) Bob is a merchant banker and really has the Midas touch. The poverty-stricken boy turned out to have the Midas touch and was a millionaire by the time he was twenty-five.
See also: have, Midas, touch

*tight as a drum

 
1. stretched tight. (*Also: as ~.) Julia stretched the upholstery fabric over the seat of the chair until it was as tight as a drum. The skin on his scalp is tight as a drum.
2. sealed tight. (*Also: as ~.) Now that I've caulked all the windows, the house should be tight as a drum. Your butterfly died because the jar is as tight as a drum.
3. and *tight as Midas's fist very stingy. (*Also: as ~.) He won't contribute a cent. He's as tight as a drum. Old Mr. Robinson is tight as Midas's fist. Won't spend money on anything.
See also: drum, tight

the Midas touch

the ability to make a lot of money
Usage notes: Midas was a king in Greek stories who had the power to turn anything he touched into gold.
Profits are down - has that 80s entrepreneur lost his Midas touch?
See also: Midas, touch

tight as a drum

Taut or close-fitting; also, watertight. For example, That baby's eaten so much that the skin on his belly is tight as a drum, or You needn't worry about leaks; this tent is tight as a drum. Originally this expression alluded to the skin of a drumhead, which is tightly stretched, and in the mid-1800s was transferred to other kinds of tautness. Later, however, it sometimes referred to a drum-shaped container, such as an oil drum, which had to be well sealed to prevent leaks, and the expression then signified "watertight."
See also: drum, tight

Common Names:

NameGenderPronouncedUsage
Maddalenamahd-dah-LE-nahItalian
Joan['dʒəun]
Abolfazl-Persian
Afonsoa-FAWN-saw (Galician)Portuguese, Galician
Mikkeline-Danish
SloaneSLONEnglish (Rare)