save something for a rainy day
存钱以备不时之需；有备无患；未雨绸缪
In previous episode, we learned an expression to talk about saving money, which is ‘to squirrel something away’. Today, the expression we are going to learn is also about saving money, but could also be about other things like could save something valuable.
For example, if I have a very expensive bottle of wine, I could save it for a rainy day. So, in the expression, the term ‘a rainy day’ does not mean a day on which it rains, it is a metaphor(比喻) for a time when you really need or want something.
Most of the time when we use this expression, it’s used to talk about money. Talking about saving money, so you can use it when you really want to or when you really need to. Especially, we use it to talk about saving money for uncertainty in the future. ‘A rainy day’ here represents for uncertainty and unforeseen events.
Example I
A: When I was a kid, I really wanted a BMX but my parents couldn’t afford one.
B: So what did you do?
A: I got a paper route, and I start to earn some money.
B: Cool, did you end up buying one?
A: No, in the end I just end up to saving the money for a rainy day.
Actually, I have a nice saving account because of it. In this conversation, one guy talks about how he ended up saving some money for a rainy day. Originally, he wanted to buy a BMX, but he couldn’t afford it.
By the way, a BMX is a kind of bicycle that you can do a lot tricks on. It’s a kind of smaller bicycle. So he got a paper route(送报), which is a job that most teenagers had to deliver newspapers door to door. And he earned some money doing the paper route. When he started making some money, he decided not to buy a BMX. In the end, he just ended up saving the money for a rainy day. He’s saving his money in case he needs it later.
Example II
A: We’ll be getting our yearly bonus soon. I’m gonna take a trip to Vegas. What about you? Any plans?
B: Oh, probably just save it for a rainy day.
A: Really? Oh, come on. That’s so boring. Why don’t you come to Vegas with me and we’ll have some fun? Hit the casinos, see a show, it’ll be great.
B: I think I’ll pass. You have fun though. 我就不去了
In this example, two friends talk about going on a trip to Las Vegas. Las Vegas is a famous city around the world for gambling, casino and, in general, spending a lot of money. But in this example, a friend is saying that he would rather save his yearly bonus for a rainy day, meaning instead of going to Las Vegas and using that money, he would rather keep these money in case he needs it later on. And this brings us to the end of today’s episode, if you like it, please give me a thumbs up down below.
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