welfare Cadillac
English edit
Etymology edit
The imagery is of a person arriving at a welfare office in a Cadillac automobile (an expensive car) to pick up a welfare payment. The implication is that the person does not need the benefit, or that the benefits are too generous.
Pronunciation edit
Audio (AU) (file)
Noun edit
welfare Cadillac (plural welfare Cadillacs)
- (US, idiomatic) The case of a person or group receiving public benefits, although the benefits are not actually needed by the recipient or are obtained by fraud.