windfall
noun

1. A sudden, unexpected piece of good fortune or personal gain

2. Something, such as a ripened fruit, that has been blown down by the wind

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language

—
ORIGIN

mid-15th centurry, from wind + fall. Originally literal, in reference to wood or fruit blown down by the wind, and thus free to all.

The figurative sense of “unexpected acquisition” is recorded from the 1540s.

—
WINDFALL EXAMPLES

Examples of windfalls include: unexpected inheritance or other large gift from another, sweepstakes or lottery winnings, returns on investments, proceeds or profit from a large sale, employment payroll bonus, proceeds from an insurance claim, settlement from a lawsuit, discoveries from treasure hunting.

—
FOOTNOTE

Windfall was an American television serial drama about a group of people in an unnamed small city who win almost $400 million in a lottery. The series premiered on June 8, 2006 on NBC.

—
SYNONYMS

bonanza, jackpot, unexpected gain; stroke of good luck, godsend, gift from the gods, pennies from heaven, WINDFALL, crock of gold, golden parachute, golden handshake

—
THANKS to Ursula for suggesting today’s OWAD

—
SMUGGLE OWAD into a conversation today, say something like:

“As a result of the merger, investors received a WINDFALL profit at the year end.”

—
HERZLICHEN DANK to all readers helping me keep OWAD alive with single or monthly donations at:

https://donorbox.org/please-become-a-friend-of-owad-3

Paul Smith