brass ring

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brass ring

n. Slang

An opportunity to achieve wealth or success; a prize or reward: "missed the brass ring of American success" (Lewis H. Lapham).

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

brass′ ring′

1. wealth, success, or prestige as a prize: the brass ring of the Presidency.

2. the opportunity to try for such a prize.

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Noun

brass ring - a rich opportunity or a prize; "he missed the brass ring at the Miami convention"

chance, opportunity - a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances; "the holiday gave us the opportunity to visit Washington"; "now is your chance"

brass ring

noun

Slang. A person or thing worth catching:

catch, plum, prize.

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References in classic literature ?

In the centre lay a leather mattress, placed almost flat upon the ground, over which hung a strap provided with a buckle, attached to a brass ring in the mouth of a flat-nosed monster carved in the keystone of the vault.

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And gathering up the leather reins fastened together by a brass ring, Nikita took the driver's seat and started the impatient horse over the frozen manure which lay in the yard, towards the gate.

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One part of his dress only remains, but it is too remarkable to be suppressed; it was a brass ring, resembling a dog's collar, but without any opening, and soldered fast round his neck, so loose as to form no impediment to his breathing, yet so tight as to be incapable of being removed, excepting by the use of the file.

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The earth trembled a little and opened in front of them, disclosing a square flat stone with a brass ring in the middle to raise it by.

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Mary was a little hoyden, and Fred at six years old thought her the nicest girl in the world making her his wife with a brass ring which he had cut from an umbrella.

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In a little while, however, they began to appear in more gorgeous array, tricked out in the finery obtained from the white men; bright cloths, brass rings, beads of various colors; and happy was he who could render himself hideous with vermilion.

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A swarm of swarthy, noisy, lying, shoulder-shrugging, gesticulating Portuguese boatmen, with brass rings in their ears and fraud in their hearts, climbed the ship's sides, and various parties of us contracted with them to take us ashore at so much a head, silver coin of any country.

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Meanwhile, Zahm is content to consider his hen's aluminum jewelry the brass ring of his waterfowling career.

Spoonbill Brass: Did you know how few shovelers sport bands?

A loan officer decides to scratch a nagging itch to finally grab the brass ring, but his well-laid plan may not turn out as he hopes.

Bank Official Dreams Big, Risks All in New Novel by J. Willard Thompson

'The Intern' star will receive the Brass Ring Award for his philanthropy, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

Robert De Niro to be recognised at Carousel of Hope Ball

McCauley seasons the novel with a liberal helping of the anxieties of contemporary American life, chief among them upper-middle-class parents' apprehension about their children's futures and aging baby boomers' regret that life's brass ring will always be just out of reach.