miss the boat
miss the boat
also miss the bus
Meaning:
- miss a chance
- being too slow to take advantage of an opportunity
- to lose an opportunity by being slow to act
- to miss out on something
Example:
- The discounted price sale ended today and I just missed the boat on making a great deal.
- He missed the boat when he did not apply for the job in time.
- If you don’t pay attention in class, you’ll miss the boat and do badly in your exams.
- There were tickets available for the match till last week, but you have missed the boat by waiting till today.
- It was widely expected that he would get the funding, but he missed the boat by not keeping his appointment.
- In this competitive scenario, if you don’t keep yourself abreast of latest developments, you are going to miss the boat.
- There are others waiting to grab an opportunity like this; if you don’t act fast, you are going to miss the boat.
- He did not turn up for the trials, so he missed the boat to be in the team for the main event.
Origin:
This phrase has been in use since the 1900s.
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2 Comments
Many idioms come from antiquity with no one source. I would guess this one came from Noah’s Ark. That was a boat you didn’t want to miss.
Where is this idiom from?