A plum job

Posted by James Briggs on November 08, 2000

In today's Times there is a headline, concerning the US presidential election, which says "Victory to trigger rush for plum jobs"

Such strange phrase that I thought I'd share its origin with you all.

If a job is regarded as a plum one then it is considered very desirous. Why "plum"? Plum in the 17th century was slang for £1000, a very large sum indeed in those times. This use was then applied to some political jobs, thought by the man in the street to involve little work for a lot of money. From there the word entered wider use for an easy, choice job.