In the can

Meaning

The idiom "in the can" is used to describe something that has been recorded or saved for later use, such as a video or audio recording. It can also be used to refer to something that has been written down or documented. In contemporary language, the idiom is commonly understood to mean that something has been stored or saved in a digital format.

Usage

• "I recorded the meeting last week and put it in the can for future reference."
• "She saved all her research papers in the cloud so she could access them easily later."
• "The podcast was recorded in advance and released for download on iTunes."
• "He wrote a draft of his book and left it in the can to review before publishing."
• "I captured a video of my daughter's recital and put it in the can to share with friends."

Roots and History

The origin of the idiom "in the can" is unclear, but one theory suggests that it may have come from the practice of recording radio broadcasts on magnetic tape. In this case, the phrase would refer to something that has been recorded and saved for later use on a physical medium, such as cassette tapes or CDs. The idiom has evolved over time to include digital formats as well, such as cloud storage and online databases. Today, the phrase is commonly used to describe any form of recording or documentation that has been stored or saved electronically for later use.

Synonyms in English

• "in the bank"
• "in the archive"
• "in the library"
• "in storage"
• "on tape"

Synonyms in other languages

• French: "enregistré en vue" (recorded for future reference)
• German: "aufgezeichnet" (written down)
• Spanish: "grabado" (recorded)
• Italian: "conservato" (saved or preserved)
• Chinese: "储存的" (stored or saved)

Similar Idioms

• i’ll eat my hat

• if wishes were horses, beggars would ride

• if you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours