gravy train

What it means

A gravy train is a job, contract, or situation that delivers a steady, generous income for relatively little work. The phrase is usually negative or envious, used about politicians, consultants, or insiders who seem to benefit from comfortable arrangements at someone else's expense.

Examples

• Once the contract ended, the gravy train was over.
• They've been riding the gravy train for years on government grants.
• Don't expect this gravy train to last forever.
• He hopped from one corporate gravy train to the next.

Where it comes from

American slang from the early 20th century, with 'gravy' used by then as a word for easy money or extras beyond a normal wage. Railroad workers reportedly used 'gravy run' for a profitable, easy route, and the broader 'gravy train' followed soon after.

Related idioms