In this lesson you will learn about the idiom 'cash cow' and how to use it in your conversations.

Sally, do you know what the idiom 'cash cow' means?

Yes Jim, a cash cow is a source of easy and continuous profit.

Correct. A 'cash cow' may be a product, a business or an organization which needs a very small amount of maintenance cost to run,

compared to the huge profit or income it generates.

For example, Windows is the cash cow that made Microsoft a huge company.

You are right, Sally. Microsoft is making a huge amount of money from the Windows product; it's their cash cow.

A cash cow may be anything which is a dependable source of income with its large and steady cash flow.

Here's another example: Mr. Smith's barren piece of land became his cash cow after oil was discovered there.

Thank you Sally. Let's listen to some conversations now.

Suzanne told me that the new product would become a cash cow.

Sure, it's already taking off in the market.

Mr. Brown's ideas are brilliant! He should have been made the CEO years ago.

Right! His new idea is the company's new cash cow.

The government approved mining in Sparrow Island.

That's a good decision for some people. It'll prove to be a cash cow soon for the people who own the land.

I doubt that! There's a strong protest against it going on.

Yeah, they fear that the mining will destroy the ecosystem.

The next Olympics will cost a lot of money to organize.

Yeah, but it will be a cash cow for the city that hosts them.

I'm not so sure. I've heard they cost more to host than they bring in.

Well, at least it will be a cash cow for the merchants in that area.

Yeah! For them it'll be a real boon!

Windows is the cash cow that made Microsoft a huge company.

Suzanne told me that the new product would become a cash cow.

His new idea is the company's new cash cow.

It'll prove to be a cash cow soon for the people who own the land.

Yeah, but it will be a cash cow for the city that hosts them.

Well, at least it will be a cash cow for the merchants in that area.