happy hunting ground
- the North American Indian heaven, conceived of as a paradise of hunting and feasting for warriors and hunters.
- a place where one finds in abundance that which one needs or desires, or where one may pursue an activity without restriction: New England attics are happy hunting grounds for antique collectors.
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Origin of happy hunting ground
An Americanism dating back to 1830–40
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
happy hunting ground
- (in American Indian legend) the paradise to which a person passes after death
- a productive or profitable area for a person with a particular interest or requirementjumble sales proved happy hunting grounds in her search for old stone jars
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Idioms and Phrases with happy hunting ground
happy hunting ground
A place where one can find or do what one wishes without restriction. For example, The North Shore is a happy hunting ground for antique collectors. This term alludes to the Native American idea of an afterlife where hunters find unlimited game. [Early 1800s]
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The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.