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Whenever I hear the phrase I struck gold the fact the person had to have done a certain search is implied to me. Is this correct?

For example, if I say:

Janet loves sex so much! I've struck gold with this one!

In the above example, is the fact that I've been looking for a woman implied in the phrase or is it possible, from how the sentence stands, that I wasn't looking for a woman at all and she just came to me out of the blue?

If the effort is implied, what would be the phrase for an "effortless gold strike"?

EDIT: According to the current comments, I'd like to add that this question is not related to sex only. The example was just an example. I'm referring to the phrase generally as used in any situation.

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It's not obvious to me that your existing usage places a huge emphasis on you devoting inordinate amounts of effort to the search for sex. Another alternative is hit paydirt, but it would have the same implications if you're determined that people shouldn't think you actually went looking for it. Perhaps you could say she fell into your lap, but then people might think you met her at a lap-dancing flophouse, which could be even worse for your image! –  FumbleFingers Jan 16 '12 at 5:49
...you could of course just say you got lucky. Or be discrete, and don't say anything. :) –  FumbleFingers Jan 16 '12 at 5:51
How about struck oil? People used to be made millionaires overnight when they accidentally struck oil. –  Pitarou Jan 16 '12 at 6:06

3 Answers 3

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Among terms for a stroke of fortune are godsend; stroke of luck; lucky break, strike, or stroke; fluke; windfall; fortuitous. These words are used in phrases like "What a godsend she has been!" and "That really was a lucky break for you." Less directly applicable are out of the blue, pot of gold, unlooked-for.

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Can we say I have hit the bull in the eye with finding Janet, she loves sex so much!. I would say that unexpected achieving of goal meaning is missing, but it really correspondent with accomplishment of a goal or purpose in immaculate way, maybe even in a way being lucky ? –  speedyGonzales Jan 16 '12 at 9:34
@speedyGonzales: It would be pretty odd to say you hit the bull in the eye. We say I hit the bullseye. And that definitely implies you took trouble "aiming". –  FumbleFingers Jan 16 '12 at 16:13

The word that comes to mind to describe this is serendipity:


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The real problem arises from the way you formulated the sentence counter to the logic of your situation/ thought process.

"I've struck gold with this one!": Why would you begin the sentence with yourself if you did not go about looking in the first place? Are you not really trying to say that it was Janet who happened to sort of materialize for you? So, logically you would turn the sentence on its head and say:

"Janet [is so]. She was the [anything appropriate] that happened to me!"

Go ahead and describe your good luck with Jackpot, Godsend, or better things you can think up.

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