just the ticket

1. Also, that's the ticket. Exactly what is needed; exactly right. For example, This van is just the ticket for carrying all our luggage, or That's the ticket—you're handling that chain saw very well. The second phrase dates from the early 1800s, and the first is slightly newer. The exact allusion is disputed—it could be to a winning lottery ticket, a price tag for merchandise, or, as one writer suggests, a corruption of the French word etiquette for “appropriate behavior.” For a synonym, see way to go.

Example Sentences

After the fortnight the prime minister has had, a spot of rarefied pageantry is just the ticket.

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A day of retail therapy can be just the ticket for some people to help them feel better about themselves.

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Jack Dempsey hasn't played a whole pile of rugby but his carrying and his intensity might be just the ticket to get Scotland over the line.

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But if you like the idea of a knockout side dish with a certain savory je ne sais quoi, this is just the ticket.

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In those cases, this folding saw is just the ticket.

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Related Words

• achievement 
• attainment 
• contentment 
• gratification 
• perfection 
• realization