décrocher le pompon - French expression

décrocher le pompon - to hit the jackpot - Mot du Jour

décrocher le pompon - to unhook the pompom, the tassel. I think that expression comes from the circus and fairs where children would ride on a merry-go-round and try to grab a dangling pompon to win a free ride. décrocher le pompon means ‘to hit the jackpot’.

Another way to say “décrocher le pompon” is “avoir ou gagner le pompon“, to have or to win the pompom. It’s often used in the passé composé: j’ai eu le pompon

• « On a décroché le pompon avec ce dossier : ce sont les plus gros clients de la boite. »
  • “We hit the jackpot with this account: they are the biggest client of our company.”
    

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