King's ransom

    一大笔钱

    A: Why is Jay suddenly rich?

    B: The painting he collected several years ago was sold for a king's ransom.

    Note: Ransom is the amount of money that kidnapers demand for the return of someone they've kidnapped. If the kidnaper abducted a king, then obviously he would demand a large sum of money for the release of his highness. The expression means a large sum of money. The idiom dates back to the 15th century, according to The American Heritage Idioms Dictionary. When use the idiom, remember to use it in situations where the amount involved seems exorbitant to the point of irrational.