meal ticket

noun

1. a ticket that entitles the bearer to meals in a specified restaurant, especially when meals purchased in this manner are offered at reduced rates.
2. Informal. someone upon whom one is dependent for one's income or livelihood:

   selfish children who look upon their father only as a meal ticket.

3. Informal. something, as an object or ability possessed by a person, that is necessary to that person's livelihood:

   The radio announcer's voice was his meal ticket.

meal ticket

noun

1. slang.
   a person, situation, etc, providing a source of livelihood or income

Word History and Origins

Origin of meal ticket¹

An Americanism dating back to 1865–70

Word History and Origins

Origin of meal ticket¹

from original US sense of ticket entitling holder to a meal

Idioms and Phrases

A person or thing depended on as a source of income, as in Magic Johnson was a real meal ticket for his team , or Her interpersonal skills will be her meal ticket when she goes into sales . This metaphoric expression alludes to the earlier practice of handing out tickets that entitle their holder to a meal. [Early 1900s]

Example Sentences

Older musicians, such as Jo Jones, Sonny Greer, Sammy Price, Russell Procope, and Earle Warren, who had known Schaap as an eccentric teen-ager now welcomed him as a meal ticket.

From Washington Post

He meant to ask for a meal ticket, but the seemingly proper moment never came, and he decided to pay himself that night.

From Project Gutenberg

You've always been ace-high with me, and there never will come the day when you can't eat on my meal-ticket.

From Project Gutenberg

For he had said frankly that when he received his discharge from the Army he would have to dig up a job to get a meal ticket.

From Project Gutenberg

I note by the papers that you have served your bit and are now out again digging around for your own meal ticket.

From Project Gutenberg

Now worked around the Army Hotel and received in return his bed and one meal ticket a day.

From Project Gutenberg