a day late and a dollar short
Meaning: Too late and not enough to be useful.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “The rescue plan came a day late and a dollar short; the factory had already closed.”
Category: Daily Life
Origin: An American expression of the 20th century. Its first use has not been traced.
Other ways to say this
- Korean: 소 잃고 외양간 고친다 (So ilkko oeyanggan gochinda) — literally: Fix the barn after losing the cow
- Polish: Musztarda po obiedzie — literally: Mustard after dinner
- Persian: نوشدارو بعد از مرگ سهراب (Nushdaroo ba'd az marg-e Sohraab) — literally: The remedy after Sohrab's death
- Czech: Přijít s křížkem po funuse — literally: To come with a little cross after the funeral
- French: Arriver comme les carabiniers — literally: To arrive like the carabineers
- English: shut the stable door after the horse has bolted
More idioms — Daily Life
- a whipping boy — Someone who is blamed or punished for the faults of others.
- the life of the party — A lively, fun person who makes a gathering enjoyable.
- not a soul — Absolutely nobody.
- lose sleep over — To worry a lot about something.
- make a pass at — To make a sexual or romantic advance toward someone.
- overstep the mark — To go beyond what is acceptable.
More English idioms
- kick against the pricks — To resist authority or fate in a way that only hurts oneself.
- hell for leather — As fast as possible.
- buy a pig in a poke — To buy something without examining it first.
- a Trojan horse — Something that seems harmless but hides a threat inside.
- the dogs bark, but the caravan moves on — Let critics complain; one carries on regardless.
- drain the cup to the dregs — To endure a hardship or humiliation to the very end.
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