golden goose

American  

noun

1. a legendary goose that laid one golden egg a day and was killed by its impatient owner, who wanted all the gold immediately.

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golden goose British  

noun

1. a goose in folklore that laid a golden egg a day until its greedy owner killed it in an attempt to get all the gold at once

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

golden goose

Such cycles of competition are known in China as involution, and they have transformed the country from a golden goose into a major headache for companies including Nike and Starbucks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

As Vienna grapples with smashed record after smashed record for tourist numbers, a plan to more than double its visitors' tax has worried hotel owners fearful of killing the Austrian capital's golden goose.

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

“LA turned its back on Hollywood — now the golden goose needs CPR,” he wrote on his Substack.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 17, 2026

I suspect that most people assumed that he would simply do what he did in the first term and make a big show of it without actually killing the golden goose of a good economy.

From Salon ● Mar. 31, 2025

“Wasn’t the golden goose locked up in a cage?”

From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste

Related Words

• moneymaker