golden [ME] Our word gold is Old English, from an ancient root meaning ‘yellow’. Golden is medieval, and replaced the earlier word gilden. People first used golden age in Late Middle English to refer to an idyllic period in the past. It translates the Greek and Roman poets’ name for the first period of history, when the human race was believed to live in an ideal state. In business a golden handshake, from the late 1950s, is money paid by an employer to a retiring or redundant employee, usually a senior one. This has led to a number of similar terms, including golden hello [1980s] and golden handcuffs [1960s].