ticket to ride

English

Etymology

From the use of tickets to control access to various forms of transportation.

Noun

ticket to ride (plural tickets to ride)

1. (idiomatic) Something that enables one to do something which would otherwise not be possible.
   • 2007, Doug "Ten" Rose, Fearless Puppy on American Road, page 100:

     The club's “partners” had made arrangements with the police, so employees were cop proof too. All this amounted to a ticket to ride for me. The party only stopped when I wanted it to.

   • 2011, Kurt Fishback, Passion with Purpose, page 50:

     The plan was always to teach and at the college level. This required a graduate degree, the next ticket to ride.

   • 2015, Rob Thurman, Carniepunk: Painted Love:

     I came across Bart on a week away, whoring and drinking mostly, heard his glib stories about where he worked, and there found my opportunity. His ego was my ticket to ride.

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see ticket,‎ ride.