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in one's back pocket. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
in one's back pocket, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
in one's back pocket in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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in one's back pocket, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Prepositional phrase
in one's back pocket
- (idiomatic) Ready if needed, in reserve, prepared, available for use whenever it might be advantageous.
- Synonym: in one's hip pocket
2008 July 16, David Friend, “New owner to spruce up Bay”, in The Star, Toronto, Canada, retrieved 29 January 2019:There’s tremendous opportunities at The Bay in order to modify the offering in order to be attractive to a larger segment to the population. […] Having the Lord & Taylor banner in their back pocket, they’ve got an extra option there.
2010 March 4, Sheelah Kolhatkar, “Eliot Spitzer's Mission Impossible”, in Time, retrieved 29 January 2019:Spitzer thinks it's an outrage that the same bankers who brought down the world economy are still firmly in place, bonuses in hand, a government guarantee in their back pocket.
2010 June 18, Ben Greenman, “King of His Multigenerational Castle?”, in New York Times, retrieved 29 January 2019:I didn’t mention my son’s remark to my parents because it seemed emotionally manipulative, but I have it in my back pocket just in case.
2015 June 4, Sophy Ridge, “Angela Merkel is finally having her feminist moment”, in Telegraph, UK, retrieved 29 January 2019:he bosses around all the blokes in the European Union; has won three elections; and even has a physics degree in her back pocket.
See also