Million/millions

Posted by ESC on November 25, 2000

In Reply to: Expressions, sayings or idioms with the word "million" posted by Joan B. Harper on November 25, 2000

: I am looking for all the expressions, sayings or idioms with the word "million". Some examples I thought of
: are, "one in a million," "million dollar baby," "million dollar question," "looks like a million." I can't think of
: any more but hoped I could find a resource which could give me more. This website is the best one I've found
: and I did locate many expressions to do with money, dollars, etc. These were good and may be the
: best available to me. If anyone has any other ideas, I would appreciate the input. Thank you!

MILLION-DOLLAR WOUND - "An excuse for escaping an unpleasant situation. Literally this term means a combat-caused or self-inflected injury that is not permanently disabling but is serious enough to warrant permanent removal from combat. It probably dates from World War II and was widely used during the Vietnam War and Gulf War. By about 1930 it was also being used figuratively." From "Fighting Words: From War, Rebellion, and other Combative Capers" by Christine Ammer (NTC Publishing Group, Chicago, Ill., 1989, 1999). A second reference states: "million-dollar wound/million-dollar zap - A noncrippling wound that is serious enough to warrant return to the United States. A ticket home." From the War Slang chapter of "Slang: the Authoritative Topic-by-topic Dictionary of American Lingoes from All Walks of Life" by Paul Dickson (Pocket Books, New York, 1990, 1998).

MILLION-DOLLAR CONTRACT - The first one was signed by Charlie Chaplin "for eight pictures with First National." From Listening to America: An Illustrated History of Words and Phrases from Our Lively and Splendid Past by Stuart Berg Flexner (Simon and Schuster, New York, 1982).

MILLION-DOLLAR GATE - "('gate' 1886, as the total gate receipts of a sports event) in (boxer Jack) Dempsey's title fight against the French light-heavyweight Georges 'Orchid Man' Carpentier, in an arena (showman George Lewis 'Tex') Rickard built on Boyle's Thirty Acres in Jersey City, New Jersey." Listening to America: An Illustrated History of Words and Phrases from Our Lively and Splendid Past by Stuart Berg Flexner (Simon and Schuster, New York, 1982). The date of the fight isn't given.

MILLION-DOLLAR LEGS - Title of a 1939 movie starring pin-up girl Betty Grable. From Listening to America: An Illustrated History of Words and Phrases from Our Lively and Splendid Past by Stuart Berg Flexner (Simon and Schuster, New York, 1982). (I believe it's in reference to insurance taken out on Ms. Grable's legs.)

MILLIONS FOR DEFENSE, BUT NOT A CENT FOR TRIBUTE - Attributed to Charles Pinckney, American ambassador to France, on Oct. 26, 1797, "in answer to a demand for a $250,000 made on behalf of the French foreign minister Talleyrand before he would allow Pinckney, John Marshall, and Elbridge Gerry to plead America's case with the French Directory to cease French attacks on our shipping." Pinckney said what he really said was "not a penny, not a penny." From Listening to America: An Illustrated History of Words and Phrases from Our Lively and Splendid Past by Stuart Berg Flexner (Simon and Schuster, New York, 1982).

• Million/millions Bob 11/25/00