meal ticket
noun uk/ˈmɪəl ˌtɪk.ɪt/ us/ˈmɪəl ˌtɪk.ɪt/
(FOOD)
[ C ] US午餐券,午餐票
a type of ticket that you can exchange for a meal
Compare: luncheon voucher
(MONEY)
[ C usually singular ]定期提供钱款的人;赖以赚钱的事物
someone or something that you use as a way of getting regular amounts of money
Gone are the days when a university degree was a meal ticket for life. 大学文凭就是一张终生饭票的日子一去不复返了。