phrases, sayings, idioms and expressions at

Avarice

Posted by R. Berg on March 25, 2005

In Reply to: Richer than dreams of averest posted by Deb Tompkins on March 25, 2005

: I've heard this phrase since I was a kid and like others it was used in Warner Brothers cartoons. The most recent use of it I recall was by Deforest Kelly (Dr McCoy)in Star Trek 4. When he and 'Scotty' are promising the plastic manufacturer a formula for a better product in exchange for some of his current product.
: but what does it mean? bear in mind I'm not sure of the spelling of 'averest' , just going by how it sounds.
: I've tried several searches with no results...
: anybody?

Well, that's what comes of watching TV instead of reading. The word is "avarice," and with that line the "Star Trek" scriptwriters were paying tribute to something Samuel Johnson said while conducting an auction. If you take "avarice" and "Samuel Johnson" back to the search engine, you'll very likely find the source.

© 1997 – 2024 Phrases.org.uk. All rights reserved.