STRIKE IT RICH

{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To discover oil, or a large vein of minerals to be mined, or a buried treasure. * /The old prospector panned gold for years before he struck it rich./ 2. To become rich or successful suddenly or without expecting to. * /Everyone wanted to buy one of the new gadgets, and their inventor struck it rich./ * /John did not know that he had a rich Uncle John in Australia. John struck it rich when his uncle left his money to John./ Compare: PAY DIRT(2).