Learn how to use the phrase "missed the boat".
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Episode Script:“I should have invested earlier. I missed the boat.”

Welcome to “ESL with Josh” - a podcast that will help you to speak more like a native English speaker. In this episode, we will consider the phrase “missed the boat” - what does it mean and how do we use it?

“Missed the boat” is an idiom, which means that we don’t understand it literally.
“Missed the boat” does NOT mean that you threw a rock towards a boat and missed.
“Missed the boat” (as an idiom) may not even have anything to do with boats.

“Missed the boat” DOES mean that someone missed an opportunity that they may not have again.

The phrase originates from the days when traveling by boat was more common. If a passenger were late to arrive and the boat left without them, there is no chance the huge boat would turn back around to let them get on board. The passenger would no longer be able to travel because that boat has left and the passenger “missed the boat.”

Today, the idiom “missed the boat” is used for any missed opportunity, especially if it was an opportunity that will not come around again. The idiom is very related to another idiom, “That ship has sailed” which implies the same thing: an opportunity has been missed.

“Missed the boat” can be used in a variety of ways.

Here are a few examples:

• You should sign up for the trip now. Don’t miss the boat!
• I should have asked Sally to marry me. I really missed the boat with her.
• Prices have gone up so much lately. I missed the boat by not buying a home years ago.
• I wish I had set an alarm. I slept through the entrance exam. Now I have missed the boat completely!

Now it is time to take a quiz. Which of the following sentences use the idiom correctly?

1. Charlie missed the boat with football tryouts. It’s too late to start training now.
2. I hit at least 50 golf balls into the ocean. Most of them missed the boat, but a few hit it.
3. Don’t miss the boat with Jennifer. Ask her out now while she is single!
4. I used to love water skiing with my family. I miss our boat a lot.

What do you think?
The only correct sentences are numbers 1 and 3.

Now it’s time for the Joke of the DayWhat did the man say when his wife thought moose were falling from the sky?
It’s just reindeer.

Thanks for listening!

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