any port in a storm
- idiom
- Informal
:
cualquier puerto en una tormenta
- She didn’t love the job, but it was any port in a storm after being unemployed for months.
Examples
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When my flight was cancelled, staying at a cheap motel was any port in a storm.
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In desperate times, people take any port in a storm to get back on their feet.
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In tough times, any port in a storm is valid.
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When the business failed, any port in a storm would help.
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After losing his job, he accepted a low-paying position because it was any port in a storm.
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When her car broke down in the middle of nowhere, she decided to use the nearest gas station as any port in a storm.
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Faced with an unexpected medical emergency, he chose the local clinic as any port in a storm.
Synonyms
2
3.9
A place or situation that protects people from danger
A place where people or ships find safety from danger
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is based on a clear metaphorical mapping: a 'port' is a refuge during a literal 'storm', so an English learner who knows the constituent words can plausibly infer that it means accepting any refuge or solution in a difficult situation. However, this is a conventionalized proverb with idiomatic nuance and requires recognizing the metaphorical use rather than purely compositional semantics, so it is not fully transparent.
Etymology
Any port in a storm is a saying from old sailors: when a ship was in a storm, the crew would go to any port that was safe, even if it was not perfect. So it now means 'in a difficult time, you accept any solution'.