Tide over

Meaning

The idiom "tide over" means to survive or cope with a difficult situation by getting through it temporarily until better times come along or the situation improves. It implies that the person is not necessarily in a good position, but they are managing to get by until things change for the better.

Usage

• After losing her job, Jane struggled to tide over the next few months until she found a new one.
• The small town was struggling to tide over the economic downturn caused by the closing of the local factory.
• The company's profits had been declining, but they were able to tide over the financial crisis with the help of a government bailout.
• The patient was able to tide over the surgery without any complications.
• Despite the pandemic, many small businesses have been able to tide over the past year by adapting to online sales and delivery services.

Roots and History

The idiom "tide over" dates back to the 16th century and is believed to have originated from the nautical term "tide," which refers to the rise and fall of sea levels. In this context, "tide over" meant to get through a difficult period of time until the next high tide or low tide, depending on which direction the tide was moving in. Over time, the idiom evolved to mean surviving or coping with a difficult situation, regardless of whether it was related to tides or not. It has since become a common expression used in everyday conversation to describe getting through tough times.

Synonyms in English

• Get by
• Scrape through
• Make do
• Manage
• Survive

Synonyms in other languages

• In French, the idiom "survivre" means to survive or get through a difficult time.
• In Spanish, the idiom "coger la espuma" means to scrape by or make it through a difficult time with just enough to get by.
• In Italian, the idiom "stare male" means to struggle or have difficulty in a situation.
• In German, the idiom "kämpfen um das Leben" means to fight for one's life or survival during difficult times.
• In Japanese, the idiom "貴僕のいずれか" means to either get through a difficult time with perseverance and determination or to give up and accept defeat.

Similar Idioms

• rat race

• dead end

• take a hike