Cracker Jack box
- noun
- /ˈkrækər dʒæk bɑks/
- Archaic
:
caja de sorpresas
- Do you think he got that degree from a Cracker Jack box or what?
Examples
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His sudden ability to play piano was like finding a prize in a Cracker Jack box.
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Her flair for painting seemed to come straight out of a Cracker Jack box.
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What a Cracker Jack box of a deal that was!
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Winning the lottery felt like finding a Cracker Jack box surprise!
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Her unexpected talent for solving puzzles was like finding a surprise in a Cracker Jack box.
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Winning the competition felt like discovering a prize in a Cracker Jack box.
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That project turned out to be a real Cracker Jack box of surprises!
Synonyms
90
3.7
A large amount of money you win in a game like the lottery
An unexpected pleasant gift or event that feels like a small box of chocolates
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning depends on a cultural/brand reference (the Cracker Jack snack known for hidden prize toys) rather than transparent composition of 'cracker' + 'jack' + 'box'. A B1 learner who only knows the literal words would not predict the sense of humorous surprise or luck without prior exposure to the cultural background, so the expression is idiomatic and non-compositional.
Etymology
The noun Cracker Jack box comes from the Cracker Jack snack, which used to hide a small prize or toy inside each box. So saying something is a Cracker Jack box means it felt like a surprise 'by luck' or 'unexpected' rather than the result of skill.