Almighty dollar is an idiom often used to satirize the obsession many Americans have for material wealth. The phrase is commonly attributed to Washington Irving, who used it in the story "The Creole Village", which was published in the November 1836 issue of Knickerbocker Magazine: Look up Idiom in Wiktionary, the free dictionary An idiom is an expression whose meaning is not compositional—that is, whose meaning does not follow from the meaning of the individual words of which it is composed. ... Materialism refers to how a person or group chooses to spend their resources, particularly money and time. ... Washington Irving Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American author of the early 19th century. ... 1836 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

"The almighty dollar, that great object of universal devotion throughout our land, seems to have no genuine devotees in these peculiar villages; and unless some of its missionaries penetrate there, and erect banking houses and other pious shrines, there is no knowing how long the inhabitants may remain in their present state of contented poverty."

Edward Bulwer-Lytton is credited with coining the related phrase "pursuit of the almighty dollar", which he used in the novel The Coming Race, published in 1871. Edward George Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton (May 25, 1803 – January 18, 1873) was an English novelist, playwright, and politician. ... 1871 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

References

Look up Almighty dollar in Wiktionary, the free dictionary

• Origins of Sayings - "The Almighty Dollar", Trivia-Library.com, accessed on June 14, 2005