🌧️ Save It for a Rainy Day 🌂
Definition:
To put something aside for a future time of need. To keep something for future use.
Historical Context:
This quaint concept of saving things for tougher times dates back to the sixteenth century. They clearly had a knack for foresight, these old-timey folks! Nicholas Breton planted this seed as early as 1582: “Wise men say keepe somewhat till a rainy day.” Apparently, Shakespeare didn’t corner the market on archaic wisdom. Other early appearances:
- John Clarke, 1639: “to lay up for a rainy day”
- Samuel Pepys, 1666: “laying by against a rainy day”
- Ring Lardner, Anniversary, 1926: “Louis was saving for a rainy day, and his wife had long ago given up praying for rain.”
Lardner’s touch of irony must’ve hit home in the Roaring Twenties, where flappers flapped and jazz hands jazzed, but prudence remained one heck of a virtue.
Similar Phrases & Related Terms:
- Salt away: Also signifies putting something aside, like your great Aunt Gertrude’s emergency Snickers stash.
- Nest egg: Your personal financial goose egg (hopefully not scrambled by economic downturns).
- Future-proofing: Ensuring you’re covered no matter what; squirrel vibes aplenty.
- Put by: Another old-school gem, along similar saving lines.
Synonyms:
- Save, reserve, hoard, stockpile
Antonyms:
- Spend, waste, squander, deplete
Language Notes:
Interestingly, the “rainy day” bit refers to less than stellar times (“wise men” thrive on eons of data). So, why rain? Erratic weather often symbolizes unpredictability, justifying references like this. Not everyone experiences a literal Noah’s Ark deluge, but metaphorical rain? Downpours for days.
Quotes & Humor:
“Saving for a rainy day resembles that tub of Ben & Jerry’s in your fridge: essential under dire (or delightful) circumstances.”
“What’s wrong with saving for a boiling sunny day, where ice cream becomes indispensable?” – Melty Marshmallow, famous modern poet
Suggested Readings & Works:
- Little Women by Louisa May Alcott – Frugality at its literary finest.
- Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen – The Dashwood sisters could practically coin the “rainy day” trope.
- The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley – A non-fictional guide to smart saving, sans the Victorian corsets.
Proverbs:
“A stich in time saves nine.” – Fix now, relax later. Similar pragmatic pearls.
“For want of a nail, the shoe was lost.” – Foresightedness literalized, and subsequently turned to horse anatomy.
Quizzes
Embrace the righteous buddying of thrift, wisdom, humor, and above all, spruce idiomatic charms - bound together for your word-loving pleasure. And remember, whether rain or shine awaits, words bind the umbrella to your grasp.
Until our next literary musing, W. T. Wittywords
