I was reading a book about the origins of nautical sayings the other day and I came across this interesting tidbit about the name of our boat: Bonanza.
"The word bonanza is derived from the Spanish bonanza (to sail with fair wind and weather). It is thought that American mariners borrowed the word from their Spanish counterparts and used it to describe prosperity in general. In turn, gold rush miners heard the word aboard ships bound for California and used it to describe any rich finds of precious metal. The word crept into colloquial American English and has come to mean anything that is considered abundant."
Olivia A. Isil from When a Loose Cannon Flogs a Dead Horse There's The Devil to Pay.
So there you have it.
