Keep your powder dry

Suggest a Correction

Meaning

Stay ready and calm, preserving your resources for the right moment.

Origin

From 17th-century England, attributed to Oliver Cromwell's alleged 1642 order, 'Trust in God, but keep your powder dry,' before a battle-though likely apocryphal. Wet powder misfired muskets, so 'dry' meant ready; it appeared in print by 1834 in a William Blacker poem.

Variants

  • Powder dry

Usage Examples

  • Keep your powder dry-we'll strike when ready.
  • She kept her powder dry, waiting for the perfect chance.
  • He's keeping his powder dry until the vote's clear.

Browse More

A to Z More K phrases