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something to fall back on

something to fall back on

Date: Feb 19 2004

Quote

1. Quote - Listen to the quote and guess what the slang means.

“At first, I was a little careless. But I learned it’s not how much you make, it’s how much you can keep. And I realized that I’m not always going to be young, and my knees are not always going to be straight. They’re going to get sore. I’m going to get old. And when basketball stops, I’m going to need something to fall back on. I’ve been saving a lot, so I’ll be O.K.”
- Shaquille O’Neal, NBA basketball player, actor and rapper, talking about money.

Definition

1. Definition - Study the definition.

something to use if there is nothing else, something to rely on as a back up, something to do if it’s impossible to do anything else

2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.

Something to fall back on is always great to have. One of the most popular uses of this phrase is used in regard to education. Parents often tell their children that they should study hard in school, because if they have nothing else, they can always fall back on their education. You can use the phrase whenever you’re talking about something you use as a back up plan.

Examples

1. Examples - Hear some example sentences.

””I lost my job two weeks ago. Luckily I’ve got something to fall back on because I’ve been saving money for the past three years. However, I still need to find a new job as soon as possible.”“

””When the power went out in the office, I was glad we had something to fall back on. If we wouldn’t have had those candles, it would have been totally dark.”“

””When I get really sad, I’m glad I have my friends to fall back on. They are the best!”“

””Unfortunately, some professional athletes don’t have anything to fall back on. If they aren’t successful in their sports, they aren’t successful in life.”“

””Having something to fall back on is really important. If you lose your job for some reason, you’ll need some money to make sure you can still buy food and pay the rent.”“

Winners

1. Winners - See who guessed the slang definition correctly.

something to fall back on’ means simply to depend on a stable resource with the help of it you can pass your life without facing too many hurdles. The idea is, people do not think too much about their future – they just rather try to focus on what they are doing which is not a good thinking. The world and time is cruel which does not remain as it is. So they have to save something on which they can rely for later part of their lives.
by Asad (Karachi, Pakistan)
something to depend on, something you have to save to survive when you lose the gift you got. like keeping your extra money for the coming poor days.
by huda (Sterling, USA)
I think that the meaning is something to be rely on, for example money for old people, or something assined in his good time to use for his bad time.
by oh (Seoul, Korea)
it means you are not just prepare for the thing you have done so far, but also you have something else support you.
by joe (Kalhsiung, Taiwan)
Something to fall back on = Something you can do to help yourself when you are in a difficult situation.
by Suravadee (Nakhonratchasima, Thailand)
something to fall back on” mean: when someone lost most of his things, but eventually he can rely on it because it is the sign of his life
by jacky (Jinan, China)
i think it is such a thing like pension, what you have in your old times for your livelihood.
by esma (Konya, Turkey)
he’ll need some base, some way to survive in the future when he stops to play basketball
by renato (Santos, Brazil)
falling back on something means using something you can use for help when you have no other choice..
by Gokhan
fall back on means turn to something for help. so I guess it means something to assist you.
by Eriya (Shanghai, China)
something to fall back on” means something to rely on or something for support when in difficulties.
by Dana (Dubai)
Something you can count on, Something you can depend on
by Naveed (Karachi, Pakistan)
something to fall back on is the thing you use it after other things have failed.
by Cecile (Taipei, Taiwan)
it means somrthing extra you can count on when you need it
by paola (Pasto, Colombia)
something to count to, to support him in his life
by caliope (Cuiabá, Brazil)
Rely on, live on.
by Tia (Fresno, US)
It means that you have some support which you can survive and be safe for a long time.
by Gaston (Glendale, USA)
something solid that one can always relies on
by sandy (Zhenjiang, China)
get back, think of it for himself,should save some money when he is old
by xiang (Shanghai, China)
need something to rely on, not doing the same thing afterwards.
by lee (Hong Kong, China)
sth so firm enough that i can rely on
by siriporn (Bangkok, Thailand)
It’s easy. Having something to fall back on means to rely on something.
by Sheryl (Taipei, Taiwan)
it means something makes my live happy
by tawfik (Benghazi, Libya)
to depend on
by ivy (Shenzhen, China)
Something can help you or depend on
by James (Stockton, CA, USA)
Something to rely on, back-up
by Amy (Beijing, China)
I think it means “have something to rely on”
by Jacky (Shihezi, China)
save money to insure for crisis in future
by eva (Jiangsu, China)
i think it means need something to rely on
by Ivy (Penang, Malaysia)
I think this means something one can rely on.
by Tracy (Hong Kong, China)
to rely on; to count on
by Yi-ping (Yi-Lan, Taiwan)
to support, to give someone with mental encouragement.
by xiaoxiao (Beijing, China)
a job or some saving that you can make a living
by JUDY (Shenzhen, China)
seek help; appeal; have recourse to; recourse
by Cui (KL, Malaysia)
It means someone feels it is not good as before when he is doing sth
by crystal (Shenzhen, China)
Something will little reduce
by sue (Shenzhen, China)

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Comments

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ahmadnadri

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

I have a friend  and I feel I have something to fall back on.

06:53 PM Jul 20 2018 |

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