What is the Origin of the Phrase ‘Cash Cow’?

‘Cash cow’ means —

• a dependable source of profit;
• something that generates a continuous flow of money;
• something low maintenance but highly profitable.

This phrase was coined in the 1960s by management consultant Peter Drucker. This phrase is an analogy with a dairy cow that produces milk all its lifetime and generates consistent income with little maintenance.

Let’s see an example —

“I was lucky my website turned out to be a cash cow. I could not pay my bills if it were not for this site.”

It means that my website generates a steady flow of income for me and that helps me in paying my monthly bills.

I hope you found this story interesting. If you did, buy my full course on Udemy or watch it for free on Skillshare by signing up here. This course covers nearly 380 idioms with their origins and backstories.

Hi, I am Gauri Shanker, a Vocab teacher and enthusiast. I teach vocabulary in a fun and engaging way. You can check out my courses here.