[Japanese Idioms by Flashcards]
渡りに舟
“a boat to cross on”
(timely assistance, something that saves the day )
Poetically, “when you need to cross the river, luckily you find a boat to take you.” The phrase means to “luck out.” Used when something fortunate occurs when you need it most. A timely stroke of luck.
Sample text:
(Style: spoken/casual/female)
A: Kodomo no mendoo o mite kureru hito o sagashiteta n da kedo, nakanaka ii hito ga inakute ne. Soshitara kyuuni tonari ni choodo ii hito ga utsutte kita no yo. Dooshiyoo ka to komatteita n da kedo, watari ni fune to wa kono koto ne.
A: 子供のめんどうを見てくれる人をさがしてたんだけど、なかなかいい人がいなくてね。そしたら急に隣にちょうどいい人が移って来たのよ。どうしようかと困っていたんだけど、渡りに舟とはこのことね。
A: I was searching everywhere for someone who could look after my child, but I couldn’t find anyone. Then all of a sudden the perfect person moved in next door! I was getting desperate, but she saved the day!
Japanese Idioms
