back pocket
6
4.2
- noun
- Informal
- Carry these two truths in your back pocket and take them out as occasion demands.
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Watch on YouTubeI'm going to stick it in my back pocket.
- I'm going to stick it in my back pocket.
- So it's quite possible that agents can still have this sort of secret back pocket listing, we'll call it.
- And knowing that I have that in my back pocket is extremely liberating.
- Carry these two truths in your back pocket and take them out as occasion demands.
- They've got a, a side piece, a backup and another backup in their back pocket.
Examples
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We don't get much traffic (10k unique visitors/month), so I've kept this in my back pocket.
Blog text (17) -
There are 100 others just like you who will have the correct answer in their back pocket.
Blog text (33) -
So the thing I have in my back pocket is FMT.
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And knowing that I have that in my back pocket is extremely liberating.
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It's always wise to have a few backup plans in your back pocket for unexpected situations.
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When preparing for the exam, she kept some useful formulas in her back pocket for quick reference.
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He had a secret strategy in his back pocket in case the first plan didn't work out.
Synonyms
144
3.4
A stored supply of something kept for future use
133
4.3
A hidden store of money or things kept for later
58
1.0
A supply of things kept for future use
11
6.1
A hidden advantage you keep until you need it
6
6.4
A plan or fund that protects against failure and emergencies
1
1.6
An amount of something kept for future use
A secret plan you keep to use if the main plan fails
A hidden advantage that someone keeps to use later
Antonyms
How Prepared
- Informal
- Informal
6
4.2
19
4.0
∞
2.2
∞
2.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a resource or plan kept in reserve' is a straightforward metaphor from the literal idea of placing something in a back pocket for later use, so a learner who knows 'back' and 'pocket' can often infer the general sense. However, the extension to abstract strategies and the pragmatic nuance of availability/backup is an idiomatic, figurative use rather than strictly compositional, so the precise meaning may not be fully predictable to a B1 learner without prior exposure.
Etymology
Back pocket may come from the image of someone putting a small note or tool into their back pocket to keep it safe and ready. That's why it means 'a plan or resource kept in reserve'.