Definition: A business venture that generates great profits for little investment
Example: Popcorn was the cash cow for the local cinema.
Origin:
Cash cow is a very recent addition to the language. Management expert Peter F Drucker is credited with coining the phrase in the 1960s where it quickly became a buzzword in the business community. It relates to the notion that once a dairy cow reaches maturity, it provides a endless flow of milk, which in turn becomes a revenue stream for the farmer. Nice notion, but I’m sure that any dairy farmer would disagree. Its not quite as easy (or profitable) as that.
The business world is notorious for creating their own idioms. Anything to mask the meaning of what they are actually saying. Here are some of Iddy’s favourites:
Rooster call: an early meeting
Run it up the flagpole (and see if anybody salutes): put forward an idea
Monday morning quarterback: somebody who criticises something only after it has gone wrong
Blue ocean opportunity: a promising possibility
Iddy could go on. But he won’t. He has to get to bed early because he has a rooster call tomorrow. He wants to run a blue ocean opportunity up the flagpole before some Monday morning quarterback causes problems.
