golden cage —(also: gilded cage) said of a situation where a person is living in luxury but without freedom:
- After years of living in a golden cage she finally makes an attempt to regain control over her own life.
golden handcuffs—substantial monetary incentives offered to a valued employee to persuade him to remain with the company:
- Mr. Thomson is in line for a ￡280000 “golden handcuffs” payout on top of his normal remuneration.