Nancy Matos

Reader question: “The same principles were applied to broadcast reruns acquired from the syndication market, and this is where USA really hit the jackpot.”

Could you explain “hit the jackpot”?

“Hit the jackpot” is a fairly common term used when someone has a stroke of luck, not necessarily when they have won a large sum of money at a casino. It can also mean achieving great success.

Walking through a Las Vegas casino, for example, you may hear people yell out ‘Jackpot!’ if they have just won a round of roulette or big bucks at a slot machine.

Literally, a jackpot is the main prize someone has won in a game, like at a casino, or by playing the lottery. But you can also hit the jackpot by getting lucky and receiving riches in non-financial ways. Take this example: a guy introduces his new girlfriend to his best friend. On top of being beautiful with a lovely figure, his girlfriend is smart, successful and funny. The next day, the best friend says to his friend: “Boy, you really hit the jackpot with your new girlfriend!” In this case, the term is being used to say how lucky the guy is in meeting this girl with a great combination of assets.

It doesn’t have to apply to people, however. You can hit the jackpot when you buy a new house that comes with a three-car garage and a swimming pool for a great price. Or a car company can say they hit the jackpot with their new line of fast-selling cars.

本文僅代表作者本人觀點，與本網(wǎng)立場無關。歡迎大家討論學術問題，尊重他人，禁止人身攻擊和發(fā)布一切違反國家現(xiàn)行法律法規(guī)的內容。

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Nancy Matos is a foreign expert at China Daily Website. Born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, Nancy is a graduate of the Broadcast Journalism and Media program at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Her journalism career in broadcast and print has taken her around the world from New York to Portugal and now Beijing. Nancy is happy to make the move to China and join the China Daily team.