ENGLISH
REFERENCE

save for a rainy day

idiom
B1
Meaning

To keep some money back for possible expensive problems in the future.


Origin

first recorded 16th c.

Attested since the 16th century — the comedy The Bugbears (c. 1565) has 'store up against a rainy day'.

Examples
SIMPLE

I put some money away to save for a rainy day.

CONTEXTUAL

She keeps a small portion of her salary in a separate account to save for a rainy day.

COMPLEX

Despite the temptation to spend his bonus on luxuries, he chose to save for a rainy day, knowing that financial stability requires careful planning for future uncertainties.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    a cold day in July

    The time of occurrence of an event that will never happen.

  2. 02

    a day late and a dollar short

    Too late and too feeble to achieve the desired effect.

  3. 03

    a year and a day

    A long time.

  4. 04

    as the day is long

    Unceasingly; very; thoroughly; to a very high degree.

  5. 05

    bad hair day

    A day when things seem to be unmanageable or go wrong.

  6. 06

    banyan day

    In British naval tradition, a day of the week when galley kitchens served no meat on board ship.

  7. 07

    black day

    A day of great disaster, misfortune or unhappiness.

  8. 08

    call it a day

    To cease an activity.

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