to save for a rainy day
9
2.9
- idiom
- Informal
- He decided to save for a rainy day so he would have money for emergencies.
Examples
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Save it for a rainy day.
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Even if you can only spare a few dollars a week, make saving for a rainy day a priority.
Blog text (2) -
I was gonna save this for a rainy day.
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Money he worked hard for all his life to save for a rainy day?
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Very few people are saving for a rainy day anymore.
Blog text (24) -
I'm thinking I might save that for a rainy day.
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I'm saving them for a rainy day.
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- I've been saving for a rainy day.
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I always figured you for the kind of guy... who'd save something for a rainy day.
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Self-control is what enables us to maintain healthy habits, save for a rainy day, and get important things done.
Blog text (19)
Synonyms
∞
1.0
Keep something for use later
326
1.3
To put money aside instead of spending it now
167
3.1
To keep something for a particular person or purpose
103
2.6
To put money aside little by little for something you want
83
3.4
Save money or time for a special purpose
29
3.0
Keep something to use at a later time
2
4.7
To save money or keep goods for later
1
3.5
Save money for future use
Antonyms
How Prepared
1
3.7
- Informal
9
2.9
103
2.6
326
1.3
Surface Forms
Morphology
The verb 'save' (to reserve for later) combined with the phrase 'a rainy day' (using rain as a metaphor for hard or unexpected times) yields a predictable metaphorical meaning 'set aside resources for future difficulties.' Because understanding this requires recognizing the figurative use of 'rainy day' rather than a literal rainy calendar day, it is not fully compositional for all learners, though the metaphor is common cross-linguistically and often inferable.
Etymology
Save for a rainy day may come from a simple picture: people would save food or money to use on a rainy day when bad weather stopped work. So the phrase now means 'to put aside money for a time of need'.