welfare Cadillac

English

Etymology

The imagery is of a person arriving at a welfare office in a Cadillac automobile (an expensive car) to pick up a welfare payment. The implication is that the person does not need the benefit, or that the benefits are too generous.

Pronunciation

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Noun

welfare Cadillac (plural welfare Cadillacs)

1. (US, idiomatic) The case of a person or group receiving public benefits, although the benefits are not actually needed by the recipient or are obtained by fraud.

See also

• welfare bum
• welfare parasite
• welfare queen