gold in them thar hills

English

Etymology

Originally used in the phrase “there’s gold in them thar hills”, possibly a misquote of the phrase “there’s millions in it” (viz. the North Georgia mountains) uttered in Mark Twain's 1892 novel The American Claimant by Colonel Mulberry Sellers, a character thought to be based on Dahlonega Mint assayer M. F. Stephenson.

Pronunciation

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Noun

gold in them thar hills (uncountable)

1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see gold,‎ in,‎ them thar,‎ hills.
2. (idiomatic) An opportunity for something to be profitable and/or beneficial.
   • 2004 September, Eric Alterman, “The Hollywood Campaign”, in The Atlantic‎^[1], archived from the original on 8 October 2018:

     There really is gold in them thar hills. During the 2000 election cycle, zip-code areas on average yielded slightly more than $35,000 in political contributions, while residents of Beverly Hills, 90210, ponied up slightly more than $6.2 million.

   • 2018 September 28, Ed Gross, “Gal Gadot To Star In A Remake Of Agatha Christie's Murder Mystery 'Death On The Nile'”, in Closer Weekly‎^[2], archived from the original on 8 October 2018:

     I think there's gold in them thar hills if we get the chance.