stroke of luck
Meaning
A sudden, unexpected piece of good fortune that occurs by chance.
Origin
Imagine a gambler, desperate for a win, watching the dice tumble or the cards fall. The word 'stroke,' rooted in Old English as a sudden blow or impact, perfectly captured that abrupt, decisive moment when fate intervened. By the late 18th century, English speakers began pairing 'stroke' with 'luck' to describe an unexpected burst of good fortune, as if luck itself had suddenly reached out and touched someone. It evokes the image of a sudden, almost physical hit of good fortune, often turning a desperate situation around with a single, unforeseen event.
Examples
- Finding that forgotten twenty-dollar bill in my old coat pocket was a real stroke of luck just when I needed it.
- It was a stroke of luck that the flight was delayed, otherwise, I would have missed the important meeting.