worth one's weight in gold

English

Etymology

Because gold is expensive even in small amounts.

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Adjective

worth one's weight in gold

1. (idiomatic) Very valuable.

   I find my dog is worth her weight in gold on those long snowy weekends when I can't get out.

   • 1917 February 12, “If You Knew What Foods?” (advertisement), in The Independent, volume 59, number 3558, New York: Independent Corporation, page 280:

     This book is worth its weight in gold to the housewife who wishes to feed her family for health—and economically.

   • 2011, "Summer (Where Do We Begin?)" (song), Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension

     Summer, every single moment is worth its weight in gold

     Summer, it's like the world's best story and it's waiting to be told

Translations

idiomatic: very valuable

• Finnish: painonsa arvoinen kultaa
• French: valoir son pesant d’or (fr)
• Polish: na wagę złota (pl)
• Russian: на вес зо́лота (ru) (na ves zólota)
• Swedish: värd sin vikt i guld

See also

• worth one's weight in salt