Pennies from heaven

What's the meaning of the phrase 'Pennies from heaven'?

Money acquired without effort or risk. The phrase is applied to any unexpected benefits, but especially financial ones.

What's the origin of the phrase 'Pennies from heaven'?

The first time that the expression “Pennies from heaven” came into the public consciousness was on the release of the 1936 film, starring Bing Crosby.

It wasn’t coined by the film’s writers though, having been used in print a few years earlier, in Abraham Burstein’s book Ghetto Messenger, 1928.

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Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

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